Chapter 9: Jack 4
Gwen clattered along the corridors and hurled herself through the door to the cells. She stopped, breathing hard, looking all around for signs of aliens. She saw nothing out of the ordinary until, walking a little further into the space, she saw the door to the third cell was ajar and then she heard voices. She couldn't remember if the cell was being used: she knew they had caught quite a few Weevils lately and vaguely recalled Ianto complaining that the cells were filling up. Slowly, she edged closer, hugging the opposite wall so she could get the clearest view into the cell.
She stopped short and gaped. There was a Weevil in the cell. It was crouched down with its head resting on the knee of a man seated on the sleeping ledge. The man was turned away from her talking to the Weevil and it appeared to be listening, maybe even answering ...
"You. Who are you? What are you doing in there?" she demanded. The man looked up and Gwen gaped in astonishment. It was Jack! But Jack was upstairs dead, unless he'd recovered by now.
"Captain Jack Harkness," the man said, looking at her steadily. "And you should be ashamed of yourself. Treating these beings like this; locking them up." He turned back to the Weevil, Gwen thought it was Janet, and 'spoke' to it some more. Then he got up and stroked it's head, saying in English, "I'll see what I can do, my friend."
Jack 4 (as Toshiko will name him) left the cell. "I suppose you want this locked?" he asked, gesturing to the cell door. Gwen nodded, not sure if she would be able to form words, and he shut the door looking apologetically at the Weevil inside. He faced Gwen. "So, this is 2008 and you're Gwen Cooper. I remember you now. You married the lorry driver: great wedding." He smiled at the memory.
"I'm not married yet and he's a manager not a lorry driver." Gwen felt spurred to put the record straight. Who was he to belittle Rhys? And what did he mean about the wedding? "And just who are you? You're not Jack Harkness, he's upstairs."
"I am Jack but not from this time. I was brought here by this," he pointed to his rather battered wrist strap, "from 4693. I am not pleased about being brought here either so I suggest you start explaining what's going on." He crossed his arms and stood, challenging her.
"I don't know," said Gwen. She lowered her gun, it seemed pointless to keep it trained on him. "There was an explosion and Jack, my Jack, was injured. Killed," she amended when Jack's 4 eyebrow went up in doubt. "Then the alarms went off, four of them." She paused. Four of them like this one?
"I think we have the same thought," Jack 4 said. "Let's find out what's going on." He led the way from the cells and found his way unerringly to the lower level of the Hub. He crossed the space, glancing up only when Myfanwy called out, and climbed the steps to the work area. Gwen followed him docilely, not questioning his right to lead.