Jack looked on in annoyance as the Adyan guards tossed his cell, erasing the bloodied hatches that marked his days. His guard bound his arms behind him to force compliance. Everything was stripped from the cell. He was hosed off like an animal as they cleaned the walls. One guard toweled him off and roughly pulled a thin tunic over his head. The bedding was replaced and a new red quilt sat folded at the foot of the bed. The second guard cut the ties while holding him steady. Why the change? Given their methods, he thought it odd that day guards would allow him the dignity of clothing now. A kindness? Another trap?

Over the last months he could tell when the ship had landed for another raid. The vibrations from the engine would stop for a while, steps in the corridor, voices rising and fading away. It seemed like there were two factions: the landing party and ship support staff who stayed on board The forced solitude and constant assaults had taken their toll. After the scientists had started their injections, the Commander had issued two orders. The raiding team no longer had access, and the scientists could not let him die and reset. The series of injections followed by blood tests sickened him with fever and nausea for days. His muscles were less toned, his eyes lacked their spark, and the smile that teased and tantalized so many, disappeared.

The guard came back into the cell and pulled Jack to his feet, shackling his hands in front of him. Another one came inside and stood by his side. Jack looked questioningly from one to the other as they led him out of his cell, and down a long corridor to a lift.

The door to the lift opened to reveal Chi on his way to work.

"What is this?" he asked the guards, careful not to look at Jack.

"Orders to take the prisoner to the bridge."

"Why?" Chi asked.

"You know better to ask!" snorted the first guard. "Don't worry old man, you'll have him back. Just take a nap until we return." They laughed as they roughly pulled Jack into the elevator and closed the doors.

When the doors opened again, Jack found himself on the bridge of the ship.

The guards stood at attention on either side as they waited. Finally Commander turned to acknowledge them, and pointed towards the navigation panel on the left side of the bridge. They pushed the Captain in that direction. As they passed, some of the Adyans stared at Jack knowingly and smirked. He kept his eyes down. He stumbled as one soldier tripped him, leering as Jack fell to his knees. His guards roughly pulled him to his feet again, and placed him in the chair. He looked around the bridge as the Adyans tended to their tasks. He recognized some of them. Some had visited his cell during his captivity. He felt vulnerable sitting barefoot in the thin tunic.

The Commander continued directing her crew while he waited. A soldier sitting near him finished his task, then got up and walked over to the Captain. He crouched down in front of him. Jack recognized him as one of the more vicious of the lot, and turned his head away. The Adyan grabbed Jack by the hair and forced him to look back, and then with the other hand ran his hand lightly down Jack's cheek and across his lips. He leered as Jack tried to turn away. The Commander noting the movement, strode to the navigation panel, as the soldier quickly stood at attention. With a glare she slapped him across his face, then motioned to one of Jack's guards to escort the offender off the bridge.

She then turned to Jack as she triggered several star charts on the screen in front of him. Jack was startled as he recognized some of them, one included his home world in the Boeshane Pennisula, and another near Earth. He instantly knew what she wanted from him. No. She grew angry as she realized his refusal. She moved behind him and placed her hands on his temples invading his mind. He shut his eyes to block any transfer to her of his recognition of the star charts.

Show me! Her nails began to draw blood as the searing heat of her telepathic mind filled him.

No, He tried to shake her off. Open your eyes! He kept his eyes tightly shut. No! His muscles tensed as pain coursed down his body.

Show me! The intensity of pain began to increase as her fury mounted. Dare you defy me! She began to squeeze harder.

Jack gasped as the pain increased, but kept his eyes shut. "No," he whispered. " I will never betray my people!" He moaned as the crushing pain increased. "No!" His defiant shout echoed in the silence of the bridge. "No!"

The rest of the crew turned uncomfortably to watch their commander as her rage mounted. They watched her continue until her captive began to scream, his body convulsing from the pain.

"Commander," her attendant said quietly. "You ordered that he not be killed."

Still consumed with rage, she stopped herself, and withdrew her hands. The Captain slumped to the floor semi-conscious, while the Adyans around him looked away. With a curt nod from the Commander, Jack was picked up by his remaining guard and dragged out.

Afraid to meet her eyes, the crew continued with their jobs as she strode back to the center chair, and sat down fuming. She slowly gathered back her composure, then stood and turned to face them.

"From now on no one is to visit the captive. NO ONE!" she shouted. She then turned to her lieutenant and ordered the execution of the soldier who interfered with the captive on the bridge. The Adyans looked at each other in shock, then turned back to their positions, eyes down, and continued to work silence.

The guards carried Jack's body back to the cell, and lowered it to the bed, covering him with the red quilt. They quickly told Chi what happened on the bridge. He knew the immortal would heal, but he was shocked at the fury of his commander. Never had she lost control. For an Adyan, this was a dangerous thing. The execution of the soldier at her whim was unheard of.

Jack began to stir. His eyes opened and he tried to focus. Chi moved his side, aware that the camera was still recording. He pretended to adjust the quilt and positioned his body to block the camera as he quickly touched Jack's forehead. He was still feverish. As he entered the landscape of Jack's mind, his heart dropped at the sight of scorched earth. A sharp sound of footsteps in the corridor brought him to his feet. After quickly adjusting the quilt around the captive, he resumed his post at the door.

The Commander and her consort turned the corner into the cellblock. Chi saluted her. She glared at him and ordered the door opened.

"He is not yet recovered…"

"Stand aside, old man."

Chi dutifully stepped aside, staying by the door.

The consort roughly pulled Jack off the bed, and pushed him onto the chair, binding his hands behind him. Adhari pulled up a chair next to the immortal leaning close to him. Jack barely held up his head, unable to focus. The Commander raised her hand as if to strike him, but refrained. Instead she stoked his cheek and followed the line of his chin. Jack pressed his eyes closed drawing a shuddering breath. She lifted his chin as he looked up. She could see the dread in his eyes as much as he could see the menace in hers.

Suddenly he felt the stinging in his neck as the consort pierced an artery to monitor his blood. Adhari smiled as the pain registered in his eyes. She put her hands on either side of his face. He shuddered as she stepped into his mind and began to explore. She had destroyed so many boxes that it took time before she found the memory she wanted. Freak?She could feel the fear mount quickly as he tensed. A good choice. She fondled the memories of the Master's laugher as he toyed with the immortal. She forced him to relive one death after another and then the slaughter of millions. As he weakened, she mixed in the deaths of friends, ignoring his cries for mercy, enjoying his anguish. Then she moved to the 4-5-6.

Her eyes locked with her consort who nodded as the captive's blood level spiked higher, and pushed him further into despair. She stood within the landscape of his mind, a desolate field of shattered memory, admiring the scar left by the Time Agency, so elegant in its completion. After she finished shattering the last of his boxes and reversing retcon, she used her empathic abilities to stir a whirlwind of loss, despair, and aching loneliness. Voices from the past punctuated the air.

Can't stand looking at you! You're just wrong.

Where's Gray? Where's your brother?

You remember what you kill, don't you Jack!

Stephen!

His mind was a whirlwind of shards cutting into him. Stephen, Tosh, Ianto, Alice, Owen, Alex… You're just wrong, Jack… Freak!... Even the TARDIS ran away...The weeks of deprivation and abuse began to fracture his mind, a whirlwind of pain and regret tearing him apart. I get to kill him again! Monster..Freak…Wrong. The Commander watched him as he began to curl up in a vain attempt to protect himself as the nightmare flooded in. No, Dad, no!...Always alone…because of him…Monster… Freak.

"Stop it!" He pleaded as she continued and the fear mounted. "Please!" She ignored him and continued as Jack's body convulsed and his mind collapsed into the dark void of despair. Adhari had observed him long enough to know that his body may be immortal, but the mind…his mind was human, so vulnerable. She would take him down. The crew would learn from this, no one defies her, no one.

In the landscape of his mind she could see him, struggling to stay sane in a firestorm of memory. Agony. A shadow of another figure appeared. She looked hard, but it disappeared. Nothing. Turning back to Jack she continued to send the worst shards slamming into him, cutting into him over and over again. Then she bit him hard on the shoulder as his body arched back with pain. They continued for hours until Jack's eyes began to dull and his body slumped from the chair to the floor pulled into a fetal position. Jack yearned for death, he willed it.