29

Ianto exploded from the chair and paced the room, his hands wringing as he went over and over what he has seen, Jack asking Tosh to reopen each file slower so they could hopefully see some of what that amazing brain had taken snapshots of so quickly.

Gwen sat watching Ianto pace with confusion, unable to comprehend what was going on.

"Boy, sit down. You are making me dizzy enough to fall out of my chair"

"Sorry Grandy" Ianto lowered himself to the chair "I just feel so…confused. Why. Why do that? Why. They had families, children … life. There were three pregnant women in that facility ….oh gods. Three unborn babies."

Ianto rose and walked to the screen "Toshiko, I am going to call to three names. Bring up their files, last pages. I want to know what became of those embryos. The last notations that closed each case file out as complete."

"Shit" Owen choked out "You think … you think they might have taken them or something?"

"Did they die in the womb? Were they recovered? Are they alive? Is something out there growing up to destroy the world?" Ianto looked at Owen with hollow eyes "Who knows."

"Shit"

"Esmeralda Mercers"

A file appeared, last page was a retainable order for the 'subject intact on life support' then a stamp of destruction of the 'asset' telling them it was a failure.

"Emmaline Daly"

Same.

"Bethany Romera"

….

"Toshi?"

"Can't find it. It's not here…wait … hang on it's in another sub folder hidden …" Tosh stopped talking and glanced at Ianto, sharing a thought of doom then she clicked the mouse and it appeared.

RETRIEVAL COMPLETE

"Still active. No closing page" Ianto whispered with horror "Jesus Christ. It's been … it's been three years since the fall … if they managed it …oh gods. I think I want to throw up."

"If they managed it … there will be a new file with this old file number as a reference" Tosh whispered softly "It will take some time but I can send out an alert. Tell Mainframe to glean any and all data moving through the cosmos in the hopes of catching it somewhere in their transmissions between one another."

"A needle in a haystack" Ianto groaned.

"What are you talking about?" Gwen demanded turning to Owen "what are they talking about."

Owen explained "IF… big fucking IF … IF one of the pregnant women did survive … in whatever altered state was kept alive until she delivered that baby she was growing inside herself … IF that baby survived and is alive it will be altered right? The virus will have made it … some sort of….Fr.."

"If you say Freak I will shoot you" Jack said angrily "I love you but I will kill you. Not that word. Please."

"It would be a little toddler. Pliable, trainable like a fucking puppy … if it is not trying to take out your jugular." Ianto sighed flopping back in the chair to stare morosely at the ceiling "We will never find it. It's impossible to even …"

"Got it"

"Toshiko … you are a fucking star" Ifan powered over to peer over her shoulder, his hand waving "Read it in normal … not that fucking scientific mumbo jumbo."

"Test subject is male. He is healthy, strong … wilful. Not pliant like they wanted, looks like they have tried different drugs to try to control and stabilize … nothing about infections or biting or … no. Not a Zombie thing. IT didn't make him that. It made him strong. Very strong and fast. They have trouble containing him, looks like he likes to break things."

"Must be Jack's" Owen muttered.

"Right then. They created it then. Their super soldier, only he is a baby and wilful. They can't control with reasoning or strength … they will be trying reward?" Jack asked.

"Yes. Looks like he likes … chocolate? Huh. They bribe him with chocolate" she smiled "Sweet tooth."

"Good for the serotonin levels" Ianto whispered softly to himself as he now showed interest "Tosh? Pic?"

She nodded, taping buttons as she searched "hang on ... it's a JPEG so not good but … I think if I can adjust the resolution we might see…"

The picture on the screen fluxed, focused and settled of a little boy in a nappy. He was crying. Not ugly wailing just… weeping as he stood forlornly staring at the camera. He had Jack's eyes. A blonde flop of hair and a small downturned mouth. Those startling blue pools of woe Ianto knew so well from bad outcomes and Ianto made a small noise in his throat as he stared at the changeling.

"Says here he just killed one of his handlers … a tantrum that got out of control and the handler forgot the rule of not touching. Tried to grab the child so he wouldn't break things … he broke the handler." Tosh read, then grimaced "Temper on that one."

"Killer instinct" Jack said softly "Bred into us. We were all soldiers, all bred to fight, protect, defend. At that age we were usually kept regimented with routine, physical activities to tire us out and training to learn languages and such. By age five we were competent in hand to hand combat with a fully grown man … knew at least fifty languages throughout the universe and had the basics down for the mathematics needed to calculate the pros and cons of actions. We were rewarded with free time. We were punished with electrical charges. A shock collar that would fell us if we attacked. Sent home for holidays where our parents would tell us off for telling tall tales. The money they received for sending us back each time fed the other children in the family … we were lambs to the slaughter. "

"Where the fuck did you grow up!" Owen spluttered.

"51st Century" Jack replied with a groan "I am from the future, from another planet called Boeshane. OK? I got stuck here while travelling with..."

"Ah shit. The Doctor. That's what you hid from us about him boy? Another companion?"

Jack now felt the room shift as he stared at Ianto "Did he say … another?"