Kylia's Parallel Universe

Torchwood Institute; London, England

Spring 2060

Kylia Jones stood watching the stark, white landscape of Antarctica on the large screen. While the scan details were available on a console at the desk, she wouldn't understand most of it. As an archivist, her job was to maintain files and search for information when needed. Something her grandfather did for decades.

"This doesn't make sense, Ky," Avril said from one side of the camera out of view. "Inconsistent Rift energy and chronons. Possible time distortion."

Gray crouched a few feet in front of the camera eying an indent in the white ground. "Send the scan readings to Nigeria. There was an African excavation in the 1900s that found stealth devices. They're listed under dangerous for human contact." He stood. "A malfunctioning device might have unusual complications."

"It's different from Four?" Kylia moved over to the desk.

"Yeah." Gray sounded certain. "Readings are completely different. Check the archives for ships reported in this area."

Kylia packaged the information for Nigeria first. Then she checked Institute files. There was a long list of unexplained sightings and readings. "Dr. Toshiko Sato reviewed the location in 2014 to resolve an international dispute involving the Antarctica Treaty. She concluded it was an inaccessible alien spaceship."

"Is she still alive?" Avril didn't sound hopeful.

"No. She died while shutting down a Japanese nuclear plant in 2025." Dr. Sato received numerous posthumous awards from Japan, various international agencies, and Torchwood. Her sacrifice saved an unknown number of people, but it was estimated in the millions.

"Children?" Gray asked.

Kylia could only guess he hoped for a similar expertise. "Adopted. She's an engineer specializing in green energy." She checked for more information. Dr. Misu Sato was as impressive as her adopted mother. She oversaw the moon solar plant and interconnected satellite grid.

"Who's on call for temporal mechanics and malfunctioning spaceships?" Gray turned to the camera.

"The Arctic Observatory. Your mum's cousin. I don't remember her name. She coordinates with civilian space agencies, Global's space station and the Mars' network."

"Better have my mum call. The Sarkisian part of the family is strange."

"Because of a Miracle Day mishap, both your paternal grandparents are immortal. A massive, ancient entity used your grandfather against the entire planet and then made your grandmother immortal." Kylia laughed. "What is your definition of strange, luv?"

Gray gave her his "not funny" look. It made her laugh more. "I'll you call back."

Contacting Torchwood Three reminded her of the few remaining memories of the two weeks she spent in the other universe. She'd spent a lot of time in the hub then. When she returned home, she arrived in the office near Trefor Harkness. She met Carressa Sarkisian a few minutes later and their son Gray. Which resulted in events connecting the Harkness and Jones' families. She didn't remember telling Jack about the other version of him and her grandfather but knew she had. His family considered it a running joke. No one in her family ever mentioned it again.

Since losing Grandpa Ianto and Grandma Lisa without hours of each other, she'd thought more and more about the other version of her grandpa. She'd even thought to ask Lewella if she could send a note. She hoped he received it. Until her grandparents died, she hadn't considered the impact of her leaving the way she did.

Torchwood Three; Cardiff, Wales

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Dreamscape

Jack Harkness sat on the edge of an old stage in a WWII era dance hall. He'd attended events more than once in this hall with Estelle. The dream talismans somehow allowed him access to lost memories. Relationship details had faded in the lost years while he was buried. They'd been happy for awhile, and very much in love. Leaving her had been one of many bad decisions. She'd been killed by ancient beings she'd mistakenly thought were fairies. He hadn't gotten to her in time. The pain was as vivid as the love he'd once felt.

"What the Hell is Keara doing? Kearas?" Gwen demanded as she paced. "Atmore, Dawn, John's son. The damn corporations. She needs to stop playing sick games and give us information."

"There is a reason for what's she's doing." He doubted it was sane.

"Rhys is having a rough time. Dawn's sick, really sick. He thinks it has something to do with Atmore. Like he was crazy when he first came back. If the baby doesn't make, he's going to fall apart."

Jack suspected the Atmore situation and following crisis was saving their marriage. Gwen's affair with Owen meant she couldn't judge Rhys for Dawn. Dawn's pregnancy forced Rhys to re-evaluate his view of Trefor or would force Rhys to down the road. Atmore solved multiple problems.

"She doesn't care about the pain she's causing. Anwen knows about Dawn."

After the initial anger, Anwen focused on her new baby brother. Knowing her, she was plotting how to introduce the baby to Trefor. She'd probably accept Dawn in time as one more Torchwood oddity. Strangely, Jack suspected Gwen would too.

"You know what I keep thinking. She brought Ianto back from the dead. We need a solid doctor and a scientist familiar with Torchwood. Dmitri and Luc are in over their heads. If she could bring back Ianto, why didn't she bring back Owen and Tosh?"

Jack suspected they needed Luc for something and the changes meant he'd be ready sooner. Jack could only guess Dmitri was needed for serious alchemy problems. "We don't know what the limitations are." Jack suspected she hadn't brought Ianto back from the dead. She either grabbed him before the 456 gassed him in this universe, which was unlikely as it would have affected his memory, or saved him from a similar fate in a different universe near the same time.

"Owen and Tosh could review the dreamfish shit and have answers in days. With Luc and Malcolm trying to figure out the basics of genetics, it'll be months."

The Doves were another question he had. Nessa had helped with issues surrounding Torchwood Four and was making it possible for the general to function. But from what they'd seen of Keara, there had to be a lot more to it. With what Jeannette endured, he hoped the girl needed something from that horror. After what was done to him and Gwen, what Keara caused or allowed to happen supported the idea that she was insane. All of them were.

"Why now, Jack? Why couldn't she have stopped Owen from being shot? Or Tosh? Or kept John from blowing up half of Cardiff? Or kept your brother Gray from burying you alive? If she intervened when John showed up the first time, we could have changed so many things. Saved countless lives."

"I don't know."

Gwen paused, trying to compose herself. "Some therapy this is. I've been yelling at you the entire time."

"You need to yell." Jack shrugged.

"What do you need?"

It took Jack a moment. "Reassurance." He slid off the stage. "Being here reminds me of Estelle."

"That must be painful."

"Partly. I loved her and I left her. She died because I couldn't get to her in time."

Gwen went to respond and stopped.

"Ianto could have died in that car accident. I lost him once. I didn't learn enough from that." Jack exhaled. "I love him. I don't know how to keep from ruining our relationship."

"Talk to him. Ignore Nessa's advice."

Jack smiled at that. "The social events actually helped. Until he met Kylia. Flirting makes him nervous now. Or appears to. He wants kids."

"Ianto said something about taking mine to the mall. On a weekend in December. He's lost it."

"He misses them."

Gwen shook her head. "How did we wind up this fucked up, Jack?"

"Torchwood."

Gwen nodded.