Gee, wasn't expecting such a great response, thank you everyone who reviewed or put me on their alert.
This is just a short one if you have more time stop by my other stories which are "slightly" longer. You might notice a thread of time through my current story – Never mess with the rift.
Thanks for reading enjoy!
"But Jack this could be the end of the world, would it be so bad if we knew you were 181 or 182?" reasoned Gwen, stood over Jack in his half lit office.
"Give or take 2000 years." Ianto placed a cup of industrial strength coffee on Jacks desk.
"Not the point Gwen, say this works then every time you do something you'll end up checking to see if it changes the future. You'll never be able to make a decision again."
It sounded sensible,
"So you add it into the equation and then delete it afterwards."
"And have UNIT hacking in again before I wipe the system, they got to the third tier last week."
"I'll add security upgrade to the list." Ianto added from the sofa.
Gwen gave a grunt of frustration
"Did you just stamp your foot?" asked Jack incredulously, Gwen huffed a little more and turned her back on him intending to sit next to Ianto. She quickly spun back round shocked by the sound of shattering china and was nearly bowled over by Ianto who was shouting Jacks name.
Jack was sprawled on the floor, having slid painfully out of his old wooden office chair, hitting his head on the way down causing it to bleed in gushing way even the slightest head wound does. It was one of the few times Gwen had ever seen Jack looking anything less than matinee idol, he looked old. Ianto took hold of his hand and quickly checked his responses assisting him as he struggled upwards.
"What happened? Are you alright Jack?" Gwen squatted down to flick the pottery shards out of the way, Ianto placed the bin next to her.
"Just zoned out a second." He pushed his way back up into his chair as Ianto started to dab at the blood,
"No it's more than that isn't it." Said Ianto as he threw the sodden handkerchief in the bin, another perfectly serviceable garment ruined by Torchwood. "This is it starting."
Jack just looked glazed then refocused touching his head as if nothing had been said.
"Jack, you've got to give me that information or we all go to Hell in a handcart." He turned to Gwen, "Go down and open the rift prediction software on Tosh's computer."
Jack garbled something at them with a frown and then repeated himself, Ianto looked at him "21st century English, or Welsh but you'd need to learn that."
"I said I'll be fine, but perhaps I won't."
"Just give me the information, retcon me afterwards if you have to but I am not going to loose you like this."
"So masterful, I like it." He said before sliding forward again, Ianto went to pull him up but his hand went through thin air. He took an involuntary step back before trying again and catching him under the arms. He hefted Jack up right and started pulling him towards the main Hub shouting for Gwen.
Jack walked a few steps under his own steam and then Ianto had to drag him intermittently down to the computer bay.
"Two ticks Ianto I'm getting to the page now."
He sat Jack on the sofa and ran down picking up a pad and pen, Gwen turned round and looked at Jack
"Whoah." Ianto turned to look, like a flickering movie Jack had a beard, long hair then went grey then their normal Jack. "At least he's still here."
"The information now Jack." Said Ianto, the response was unintelligible
"It's like he's speaking a foreign language." She said starting to look a little scared.
Ianto thrust the pen in Jack's hand and he wrote in a script that wouldn't be recognisable for 2000 years.
"Quick run it through the translator"
Gwen scanned it, took the result and plugged the co-ordinates into the algorithm.
"What now?" she asked Ianto
"We wait and then you act" said Jack before passing out.
Precious minutes passed by as the computer worked out a million new possibilities, Gwen and Ianto manhandled Jack onto the couch a watched the myriad of changing faces and occasional disappearances. The wait was unbearable, they didn't want to touch him in case he reappeared in the space they also occupied. Finally the computer chimed and flashed a map of Cardiff pinpointing a street in Splott. Gwen snatched her bag and checked the magazine of her gun was full while running to the SUV, it surprised her that it was daylight as she fitted her comm unit and flung the car into gear.
"Do we know what the event is yet?" She asked throwing the black beast around corners in away that would make Jack proud, the dashboard display automatically zooming further and further in.
Ianto was torn between staying with Jack and trying to refine the monitor, with a growl he sat in front of the computer and started tapping away.
"It seems to have something to do with the temporary traffic signals at the top of Wilson Street , the affect seems to lessen when they are on red."
"Can't you change the sequencing so they are permanently stopped?" she shouted, Ianto could hear the horns in the back ground.
"Can't, they are on a generator in the street."
"Right then, I'll just have to shoot the bloody thing then."
Ianto wiggled the fingers on his right hand, he was getting pins and needles,
"Gwen, how are you feeling?" he asked quietly looking at the hell Jack was going through.
"Cracking headache" there was the sound of screeching tyres as the SUV went round the corner on two wheels.
Ianto started flicking through CCTV pictures of the Plass above his head, one or two people were being helped to the numerous benches and someone was running to a lone figure throwing up on the wooden centre deck. These must all be people who wouldn't be here if it hadn't been for Jack over the years he had served Torchwood.
"It's all starting to break down Gwen."
Gwen answered with a grunt, she was nearly there, couple of hundred yards to go and the SUV was still doing 70.
"Slow down Gwen." Ianto was shouting even as he grabbed his stomach in pain and collapsed panting on the desk, then blacked out.
Gwen wasn't hearing him either, the pain in her head had got to distraction level and she was blacking out intermittently herself, but something drove her onward. She pitched forward onto the steering wheel, the horn suddenly blaring but her foot stayed on the accelerator until she smashed into the generator and brought the whole of Splott to a standstill at 8:45am.
Jack shook his head as he sat up on the sofa, he couldn't remember how he got there or why he was sleeping on the job. Scanning round quickly he saw Ianto face down on his keyboard, he shouted his name as he ran across the Hub. Ianto stirred groggily and turned to look at sound as Jack reached him. He ran a hand down his cheek and rested it on his shoulder as if to confirm that they were both still there.
"What the hell happened?"
Ianto rubbed his side and sat back shaking his head, suddenly the computer squawked at them and they both looked up at the angry flashing red dot superimposed on the map of Cardiff .
"Gwen!" they said in unison
Ianto started on improving the real time satellite image of the stationary SUV while Jack scrabbled for his comms device. He slipped it in his ear and then pulled it back out as it was only a mix of static and the blaring horn. Checking the information Ianto had brought up only confirmed their suspicions that the SUV had stopped because it had crashed, Jack was running even before Ianto had snatched his keys from the edge of the desk where they had been placed earlier in the day.
Ianto's small car didn't quite have the impact of the SUV and they ended up abandoning it about three streets from the accident. Jack sprinted off as Ianto tried to park it safely but gave up after three attempts to find a space, Torchwood could pick up the fine, again. Just force of presence allowed Jack to cut through the crowd, his authoritarian tone adding gravitas till he reached Gwen. The SUV was at a strange angle, front wheels were mounted on the generator which itself had tipped to a forty five degree angle, the fuel was dripping out of both machines and mingling in a pool that was creeping it's way towards the huddle on the pavement. At the centre was Gwen surrounded by a couple of kids, and an old woman who was obviously nebbing rather than helping. Jack barrelled through nearly knocking the kid down who was supporting her shoulders, and lifted her head to check on the source of blood that the boy was trying to dab away.
"She got out of the car herself, I didn't move her, they told us never to move them in the first aid class."
"I'm fine." Said Gwen shaking her head and wincing, Jack smiled his million watt smile at the young lad.
"Good job, you'd have been right not to move her but I think we should get away from the accident before that lot goes up." He started shooing the crowd on, most of the other youths all to happy to comply started to move but the old woman stood her ground even as the politer of the boys tried to explain the dangers. Jack helped Gwen to stand with the help of the boy and unceremoniously pulled the woman with them as Ianto finally made it round the corner with a large first aid kit.
"It's all their fault you know." She chuntered "Standing on street corners she had to swerve to miss that one stepping out." The fickle finger of fate pointed at the helpful boy as the others all stared at the pavement. Ianto saw his job even before Jack had to give him the nod, he passed the bag to Jack, straightened his tie and smiled at the woman.
Half way down the street they stopped and Jack lent Gwen against the wall,
"Any of you guys have a phone?" The four boys all whipped out their mobiles
"Do you want an ambulance?" asked the bravest of the boys
"Just the fire brigade."
"You're not going to tell the police we caused it are you?" asked another boy, "Just we're late for school and the headmaster won't be happy."
"You didn't cause it boys, I wasn't feeling very well, I'll tell the head you stopped to help." She hissed as Jack used a wipe on her forehead.
"What are you missing?" asked Jack conversationally.
"Physics." They all intoned glumly.
"Important subject, won't make rocket scientists any other way." Jack was chirpy, he like 21st century physics for it's simplicity.
"So what names are we giving the head then?"
They all mumbled, he was sure the teachers would know them anyway but he looked at the one still holding Gwen with him.
"Peter, Sir, Peter Cellen." He looked down, his welsh pronunciation marked.
Jack pulled up and looked at him, "and you skipped physics?"
The boy mumbled something about it not being his favourite and Jack smiled, "Try Astronomy, much more interesting. The truth is out there boys." They all laughed nervously at the funny guy in the coat.
"Emergency services are here Jack" said Ianto watching the interfering old biddy stomping off down the hill. "I've got the normal people coming out for the SUV."
"Time to split then." Jack looked at Gwen and she nodded, she would get there under her own steam if needed. "School boys, and no more skipping class." The tone brooked no argument and the lads ran off, "Reach for the stars Peter." He shouted after them
"What's that all about." Asked Ianto as he took station on Gwen's other arm.
"I think Gwen might have saved the future of space exploration. In 30 years time a Peter Cellan is the first man to step on the surface of Mars thereby starting human exploration of the solar system and the inexorable spread of homo sapien across the universe."
"And you think Gwen changed something to make that happen?"
"He was about to step out, I was turning the car into the path of the on coming traffic when I blacked out." She said in awe.
"And that my friends is how Gwen saved the universe." Smiled Jack.
They all giggled at the absurd thought that one tiny action could change the whole future of humanity, until the ramifications of that thought hit home. The drive to the Hub was very quiet.