3

There were five reporters along with their entourage inside the main dome all talking at once while facing their respective cameras as the team moved around them preparing for the lockdown that would happen in a couple of hours. Ianto had retreated into the background as he liked to do when they were around, preferring to do his job.

"Alright, you are all about to enter the Hub, the main room that connects all of the other walkways to the domes, this is our workplace and you are about to enter the heart of Torchwood!" Jack said happily.

"Torchwood?" Ianto asked Owen softly, "where the hell did that come from?"

Owen shrugged, not really caring. "They had to call it something and the Phoenix Project sounded naff to me anyway. They said they merged more than one idea into the thing so… it needed a new name. He talked to me and a few others about it already and I like the Torchwood moniker, all native and shit."

Ianto felt the burn for the rejection of his project's name. His name. Although he did not like it, he smiled politely for the cameras and wraithed to the far wall, then out the door to walk to the middle of the corridor and looking both ways, he pushed in a panel to reveal a hidden door.

Ianto stepped into the service walkway and let the door swing closed, disappearing from sight.

He went to his own 'Hub' which was actually underneath the main one, a lower level of archives where he had old schematics and blueprints scattered about, the messy end of the stick to the neat orderly office everyone up there saw and thought he worked in.

Fuck them. They merged some? Altered the parameters without telling him?

He stood at the bank of screens that overlooked the CCTV cameras, drinking in his dream come to life. Then he turned to look at the newsfeed that showed the live shots of Jack prancing about shining like a diamond.

Then he noticed something, stepping closer to read the breaking news scrolling across the bottom of the BBC screen and he felt his bowels constrict. He stood for a moment of two wondering if this was some sort of simulation. This was not part of his project, is this why they changed the project name? It was a bastardizatoin of his project from the beginning? He finally recognized it. Lisa's Scorched Earth scenario was starting? Really? Those fuckers really thought…. Oh… really?

Ianto stood with righteous indignation as he stared at the fake news, his temper rising when it suddenly hit him that this was not being worked like a simulation at all. It was on the live midday news. He changed channel. They were hacking the feeds? He felt his mouth go dry as he looked at more channels and then did the only thing he could.

He stayed true to the project.

Ianto hit the alarm.

.

.

Jack was in midsentence when the klaxons started to sound and he instinctively turned to look up, watching the massive sky portals of the Dome closing overhead as the lighting changed to a soft red glow.

High alert.

He looked over at Owen who was sitting stock still with hock, Toshiko behind him working feverishly in an attempt to override the system then start to curse softly. More than once he hear Ianto's name then Ianto appeared from the fucking wall with a grim face, lifting his phone to use like a remote control. The screen on the wall flickered and came to life.

Everton watched the bulletin that showed the gas moving quickly across the ground, people falling and convulsing as the gas invaded their senses. The voices calling out in the foreign language and… then… silence. The camera where it had fallen showing the death mask of the reporter who had foolishly been out in the field when the gas came from the sea like a fog.

"Scorched Earth" Toshiko whispered to herself and then swung to Ianto "In the Phoenix Project?"

Ianto looked at Jack who seemed stuck dumb, his mouth slightly open and clearly not able to comprehend what he was seeing. He did not blame him, he had done much the same thing down bellow for a good ten minutes or so before giving in.

"It is coming this way over the sea, will pass over us and hopefully dissipate in a few days" Ianto said with more confidence than he felt, his voice only shaky on the last couple of words. He swallowed thickly, looking over at Toshiko.

"Toshiko… the is what we trained for. OK? Come on… we have a few extra souls in here to what we were supposed to have but we have the resources. We have enough for a few years lockdown as per the project brief. I know we do, I made sure of it." Ianto assured everyone.

Owen sidled over to Ianto and whispered softly "It's the simulation right? Why did they start it now? It's supposed to be tomorrow. What did they begin it with all these strangers in here?"

Ianto glanced at him and shrugged "I think that is the whole point of a surprise drill. It's supposed to be unexpected. They are fucking with us."

"Seriously?"

"I guess it will make for better TV" Ianto frowned with annoyance. This being something that had been argued over at the project table. How to get the audience engaged. Arguments about good looking 'contestants' and maybe even some surprise ones thrown in.

Yeah, well… sure is some thrown in now.

An entire press pack of jackals who do not appreciate the idea at all.

And he knew the biggest problem was about to eventuate.

.

.

"So it was a mistake, someone pushed a button or something… push another one" the reporter was one of the most respected and beloved in the country but at the moment Jack would have gladly cut his throat on air if it would make him stop whining about his bloody need to get out.

"Look, the project is now enacted. It is failsafe in the fact that once the locks engage they will not unlock for twelve months" Jack was explaining yet again "This is not negotiable. Anyone that was locked in here by accident or design is now part of the project."

The man's mouth fell open as he stared at Jack, and then swung to look directly at Ianto "YOU! Fix this!"

Ianto shrugged nonchalantly as he leaned back in his heels "Nope."

Maybe popping the P was a little rude but really… he did hate this man. This man who not only found out about the affair that ended his relationship and the ensuring loss of job, but the need to tell the fucking world about it. He named Lisa and her affair partner. He tried to name Ianto too, of course only knowing him as Mister Phoenix. Ianto had been careful here, so damned careful and the fact that this prick signed a waver not to name and shame them further. Oh, and demanded a ticket in for the grand reveal. Well? How do ya like it so far fucker?

Ianto eyeballed him, the said softly "Careful. You're close to the line there Morty old man. Remember the penalty for breaching the agreement"

The Great Morten Hester closed his mouth, then after a beat hissed "How do you know about that?"

Ianto tapped the side of his nose with a long finger and then turned to walk away.

Maybe he was going to enjoy this after all… a little bit.