4
"I thought it was real for a moment" Gwen was sobbing as she clung to Rhys, his face one of pure resignation as she had been carrying on since the klaxons first sounded. Yeah. Missus 'I am the Heddlu specialist' panicked. Deep down he thinks she knew what it meant, this is all an act for the cameras as the press were lapping it up. They had gone over this, set them off in a simulation before. So this is how she was going to be?
Jack had moved over to Owen and Ianto "So… what's the story?"
"This was supposed to start tomorrow, as we all know. Clearly they thought it might be fun to fuck us about by starting it 24 hour early with unknowns in the dome with us. I guess… this is something we argued about… some of the others wanted this in their projects. Like a real life scenario would not have a timer… might have civilians there by chance, unknowns. I disagreed as did a few others. This is not a real life scenario and needed some controls. I guess whoever finalized this did a few extra tweaks to my scenario which included adding some aspects of other ideas, including the inclusion of this idea."
"So… this is really a scenario." Jack confirmed.
"Yes, we know there is a sixty minute delay on communications to mimic what might happen after an event so we have another… ah… fifteen minutes before e get the video contact to tell us what is going on. I am sure this is not real, the key words being used and some of the background static are from another project close to mine. I think they have combined them." Ianto surmised. "I I was premature, they would not be using the sixty minute pause… ergo… they started already."
"So… we have the net twelve months in here with these people who have no training or idea what the hell to do?" Owen groaned with horror "What the hell… is this kidnapping?"
"They all signed a waiver before entering the Dome. They should have read it more carefully" Ianto said so softly it was almost unheard and both Owen and Jack looked at Ianto with shock.
This was not such an unknown thing after all.
Looks like Ianto recognizes this move and is still playing the game.
OK.
Game on.
.
.
The screen flickered to life, the face a familiar one as their Prime minster filled the screen with a wide grin "Hello there everyone, how are we?"
"How are we?" Mort roared "trapped ya feckin…"
"LIVE" one of the other members of press yelled with horror, the nation's favourite 'uncle' about to make a fool of himself on live TV.
"Well, it looks like you have all become part of the experiment guys, this is so exciting. Mort, you are perfect as our press liaison" the PM did not care about Mort's discomfort and laughed softly at their faces "This is going to be an experiment for the ages."
Ianto stepped back and Jack realized he was about to disappear again so he seized his wrist "Hey… where are you going? Don't wanna stay and see Mort do that hyperventilating thing again?"
Ianto smiled softly and Jack released his wrist, seeing that Ianto was not upset or needing to hide. Jack had noticed during training that Ianto did not love attention and preferred to wraith into the plants when he could.
"I was just thinking… we might not be out of the woods just yet. I have a bad feeling that we have not done a true headcount yet. I think… I need to do a sweep of the entire network of Domes in case there are still some of the weekend workers in here that were due to finalize their work today so tomorrow the Domes are empty." Ianto explained quietly.
"Oh shit… the Day Release kids" Jack blurted out a bit too loudly making everyone turn to look at him as Ianto gaped.
"What?"one of the reporters asked as she stepped away from her confused cameraman.
"Ah… there are some youth offenders here on day release helping in the West Dome. They are earning points for good behaviour and hopefully get an early release. If those two kids were still there… they are not going anywhere for a year!" Ianto explained to her softly "Not violent offenders… we are talking one who tags everything to the point where he tagged the local Heddlu station and the girl is a prolific shoplifter."
"And they are here?" she asked with shock.
"Maybe, maybe not. I will have to go check, hopefully they left already as they were just gathering their things before the scheduled lockdown but… who knows?" Ianto shrugged and then started to walk away, the woman staring after him then she looked at Jack.
After a beat both of them followed Ianto down the corridor from the main Hub for the West Dome.
The West Dome is the largest of the four main domes. It can easily fit four sport stadiums in it and is an exotic rainforest complete with animals. They entered to find the spider monkeys in a mild tantrum as they flew past, the reporter instinctively crouching down as one slapped at her high ponytail.
"Clarice… I saw that! I will tell Hannibal on you!" Ianto called after the little monster who hooted softly like she was laughing at him.
"Clarice and Hannibal? Like… silence of the lambs?" she laughed "Goodness. Well, my name is Marilyn because my mother loved a certain blonde sex bomb. Shame, I am short, dumpy and a brunette."
"Well, I do not think you are dumpy. You are like the blonde sex bomb… you have curves in all the right places Marilyn" Jack winked, making her blush.
"Hey Mister Jones" came a voice from behind a huge palm tree making Ianto groan as he turned to see a young girl with bright purple hair … streaked with orange… step out from the shadows "What's going on man?"
"Skippy, please tell me Hammer is not in here too."
"Yo Mister J, whatsup dude!" the smaller boy stepped around from behind her with a wide grin, the amazing afro sporting a comb on the left side like some sort of statement.
"Guys. Fuck! The lockdown started, you were supposed to be gone before lunch." Ianto growled. "Did you not hear the alarms?
"Well… fuck. Right. Ah… how do we get out?"
"You don't"