Birdwatching
It had been a while since I bought papers regularly, but I started checking them, there didn't seem to be much point in checking the internet for weirdshit. I went to some real dumps in Cardiff, looking to see if anything was going on, a couple of abandoned factories, an abandoned church, a marsh (I did some birdwatching while I was there, decided I had to go back regularly). I almost ran into the police a couple of times, around the nastier happenings, but never any sign of anything weird. It was reassuring actually, as long as I didn't remember why I was doing it.
Then one day I was nearly mown down by an unfamiliar model of black SUV, blue-lit tinted windows, running boards, big aerial, almost certainly driven by a tosser, but of a sudden I was nervous, that couldn't possibly be someone's idea of undercover, could it?
The weather had been good for a few days, and Cardiff decidedly quiet, so I decided to go back to the marsh, I hauled my arse out of bed at a reasonable time, packed my waterproof and binoculars, and went on out. It was May, so the reedbeds were loud with birdsong and insects, the sun came down like hammerstrokes on the soggy air, I found a raised bit of ground to sit on, and spread the water proof out, pulled out the Collins Fields Guide and sat back in anticipation. There was a warbler, probably a sedge warbler, over away in front of me, yelling it's little head off, I couldn't see much, sat down among the reeds like I was, but as I listened to the bravura performance it got closer and closer until the bird itself popped up on the reed tops about 10 feet in front me and two feet over my head, singing away, while eyeing me curiously. I tried to stay quite still but a silly grin was spreading over my face. Definitely a Sedge Warbler, the jazzman of the bird world. I was enjoying the recital when something out of Jurassic Park flew right over our heads. It was very definitely a small flying dinosaur. The Sedge Warbler scrammed into the reeds, I heard the wind rushing past this things' wings as it went over my head, so close. It was small, maybe a metre wingspan, skimming low, maybe two feet over the reed tops, it had a spike on the back of its head, membranous wings, with claws on the ends, no feathers. I rammed everything in the bag, grabbed the waterproof and lit out after it. I was afraid I'd lost it when something made a noise like the dinosaur ancestor of a crow, I headed towards it, then I heard someone shout,
"There she is! Get her, Owen, quickly!" A woman's voice, high pitched, "Jack will make us get rid of her if he finds out she got loose!"
Then a man's voice, cursing, and some thrashing about in the undergrowth, and an infuriated protesting Squawk! I crouched and crawled forward, a black haired woman and the swearing man were wrapping the anomalous beast in a net. I watched them bundle it up, it scratched the bloke through the net, "Be careful, Owen!" He swore and wrapped a handkerchief round his finger,
"Bloody dinosaurs, who knows what germs it's carrying!" With some awkwardness they lugged it back to the path and began back the way we'd all come. I slipped carefully thru the reeds, trying to keep cover between me and them, but reeds are loud and wave around a lot, I had to keep my distance. Finally, I caught a glimpse of the vehicle they carried it to. Black SUV.
The papers didn't have anything to say about dinosaur sightings.
I don't go to pubs much anymore- now drinking isn't a hobby (partied out, me), but a local band who did a fair imitation of the Kaiser Chiefs were playing, so there I was, in the cheerful faded glamour and grime of the White Hart. Being an old fart the beer went straight to my head, and I went straight to the dance floor, happily anaesthetised by bad lager. I was puttin a pint of lemonade down my face to clear the beer when someone in a big coat slid into a bar space beside me, the lemonade nearly came out my nose, Jack laughed,
"We meet again, Kate." I stared at him, he grinned, showing way too many teeth, "Don't you recognise me?" Hell of an odd question. "Can I get you a drink?"
The band crashed to the end of their encore, the alcohol was fleeing my system too quickly for comfort, things didn't look nearly so much fun sober. I shook my head, "Nah, I'm just finishing up for the night." People began to head towards the bar now the was music done, I left my drink and headed out to avoid the crush, when I got out of the pub Jack was still following me. I went to walk away and that bloody man fell into step with me and said, "Come on, I'll walk you home."
Regrettably, I was pretty sure I couldn't out distance him in a sprint (never was fast), so I stuck to the populated routes, safe enough with two, even with the pubs chucking out, safe enough for me, with witnesses.
He paced along beside me, seemingly relaxed, hands in his pockets, coat flapping like a cloak. He was still wearing braces and a belt, I shook my head. Neither of us spoke. We had just turned onto the arterial road to walk out of the town centre when someone's souped up exhaust blew a long mechanical fart up the street behind us, the echoes ricocheted off the buildings either side, someone was giving it laldy, and risking the Old Bill on the way home. Then there was a thump right behind us and Jack shoved me hard across the pavement, then there was another thump and Jack went over the top of a red open topped sports car driven by a spiky-headed fish.
I screamed, "JACK!" He was in a crumpled pile, legs twisted, breathing erratic and shallow, eyes glazed, blood bubbled from his nose and then he died. I stayed frozen on my hands and knees beside him, shocked, but absolutely certain this wasn't permanent. The idea of how much that must have hurt brought tears to my eyes. The idea of having to endure that repeatedly made me want to throw up. I was beginning to worry about how much time had passed when Jack took a huge breath, and sat up.
"Did you get the number of that car?" He enquired,
"Did I fuck, " I muttered, a bit shell-shocked, "just look for a fish."
He pulled himself to his feet, dusting himself down, "Any particular sort?"
"Several sorts drive cars?" I was practically yelling, he pulled me up off the pavement, put his arm round me. "Oh, Jack. " My voice broke, I put a palm on that too handsome face. " Jack." I said sadly. I broke the hug and walked unsteadily a few steps, "He had a crest with spines along his head, like a mohican." I found a wall to sit on. Jack sat down beside me.
"I'm not hurt, you know." What could I say? You were hurt, you were dead, you are a miracle that the universe just won't let die..? Pretty sure none of that was original..
"Do you know why..?"
He shook his head. "No."
"Miraculous man." I muttered, at a loss, he smiled very faintly at that, I had an intuition he was considering innuendo, so I quickly asked, "Why are you following me?"
"Because you don't give up." he said. He fished a bluetooth earpiece out of his pocket (damn lucky that wasn't broken), and stuck it in his ear, "Tosh, can you hear me?" he paused, "I need a location on a red convertible, last seen heading out of town on Penarth Road, driven by a blowfish, yeah, a blowfish. Thank you. Get everybody over here in the SUV, will you? And don't let Owen drive. Ok."
When the unsubtle black SUV rolled up, Jack chivvied a capable looking black haired woman out of the driving seat, "You," he pointed at me, "get in the back." he sounded angry and in a hurry, so against my better judgement I found myself in the back sandwiched between the black haired woman, and a serious looking young man, neither of whom looked pleased.
"And just who the hell is this?" The blonde haired man in the front passenger seat turned round and stared at me, Ah, Mr Dinosaur Hunter. "Are we just picking up stray members of the public now?" he didn't appear to be at all phased by the acceleration and abrupt cornering of the van,
"Heading off toward Leckwith now." said a voice from the dashboard speaker, Ms Dinosaur Hunter, Jack wrenched the SUV round another corner and sent it hammering down the road,
"There it is!" Yelled Jack, I could see a set of barely distinguishable rearlights ahead, "Tosh, traffic status."
"All clear for four blocks ahead." confirmed the voice, we ripped across a junction without hesitation, we were gaining, I heard what sounded very much like a gun being cocked from the front seat,
"I think I can get 'em." said Owen, he powered the window down and leant out, the reports were loud and echoed sharply back from the buildings, the fourth shot hit something and the sports car swerved, but when the SUV screeched a halt, the car was empty,
"Where'd he go?" Yelled the black haired woman, pointing flashlight and gun at the car, two loud bangs and flashes sounded from the nearest house, the door was open, guns out, they were all running,
"Stay here." Jack yelled at me, they charged in and it went quiet, which almost certainly wasn't good. My heart beating in my ears, I looked around for an advantage, there was a skip next door and scaffolding on the garage, I grabbed a loose 4 foot pole, the door of the house opened wider, I skipped back to the side of the door, flattened against the wall. Someone in a leather jacket with an orange crest on his head, and gills on the side of his neck backed out of the door, with his arm round the throat of a woman, he flicked a glance to his right, the scaffolding pole went DONG! across his skull and the fish crumpled, pulling the woman down on top of him, only then I saw the gun. I dropped the pole, and checked the woman, feeling a bit sick, she was ok.
"That was dumb." Said Jack, putting his gun away, I nodded, helping the woman up, I had no disagreement with that.
"Little help in here!" Came a shout from Owen in the house, the black haired woman pulled out a phone and called an ambulance, the serious looking young man headed back in.
The ease with which Jack blew past the police and ambulance crew when they turned up was quite something, he shouted "Torchwood" and flashed an ID, and they stared at him like he'd nicked their toys. He told Dinosaur Hunter Man -Owen- to give the blowfish a 'shot', and then the dark-haired woman and the serious young man bundled it into the boot of the unsubtle van, and we were out of there.
"Tosh," said Jack at the speaker on the dash,, there was a pause,
"Yes, Jack?" Said Dinosaur Hunter Woman- Tosh,
"What's the forecast on rift activity for the next week?"
"Spiking soon, two to three hours."
"Very good," said Jack as he drove unreasonably fast through the not-quite-empty streets of Cardiff, "we can throw our friend back though the rift before bedtime!"
We were back near the waterfront again, Jack drove into an underground carpark, and through a sliding metal door. We pulled up, the fish got bundled off to a holding cell, I guessed. I followed Jack in a slight daze, but with a lot of adrenaline at my fingertips, into a cavernous, subterranean, wet, tiled, computer-filled, victorian water pumping station?
"What the fuck? How do the electronics not go crazy with all this water?" An oriental woman- Ms Dinosaur Hunter- looked up from the largest, most elaborate multi-screened workstation, headphones and mic still on,
"Vapour filters around the walls." Jack informed me, I stared at the grotty looking water under the floor gratings, people were spreading out to desks, taking off guns and fishing out keys,
"Over the floor too?" True to form- where there are humans- there is garbage, an abandoned ball-point pen floated on it, "Bet you're fucked if you drop your car keys down here." I muttered,
"This is the Hub." Jack announced portentously,
"This is a sewer."
"You don't like it?" He arched an exquisitely shaped eyebrow, his fists on his hips, I could see his absurd red braces through the gap in his greatcoat,
"It's a sewer." Someone snorted with laughter, Jack shot a glare in Owen's direction.
"This," said Jack, "is my team. Toshiko," he pointed, the oriental woman nodded, she looked a little shy, "Ianto," the serious-looking young man looked up from the cafetière, "Gwen," the capable-looking dark-haired woman had come back into the main 'room', she shot Jack a wary glance, and nodded at me, "and Owen." Owen gave a little wave from where he sat with his feet up on his desk. Ianto began walking round with a tray of mugs of coffee, Toshiko thanked him, Owen gave him a dismissive glance, Jack took one, Ianto offered one to me, I shook my head, Ianto shot a glance at Jack,
"I have tea, juice, even a rather good cognac I could liberate from Jack's desk." It was beautifully deadpanned, I grinned, aware of Jack's mild irritation and Ianto's insouciance, then Ianto glanced at Jack and an instinct kicked in my head- possessive- this was either a very gentle flirt, or a subtle heads-up to me.
"Tea would be nice." I said contritely, message received, Ianto glanced at me and nodded, turned back to the kettle. Actually, a lake of ice-cold lager would do considerably better, suggested the over-hyped part of my brain. The idea of drinking anything with Jack made me wary, and the fear made me aggressive, a cool flood of adrenaline washed through my system,
"What is it you want, Jack?" He faced me squarely,
"I want to show you around."
"Why?"
"I said I could use a woman like you, I meant it." Was that flattery? I still didn't trust him. The Team around the Hub did not look relaxed, apart from Owen, who was overdoing it. The tea hadn't arrived yet- just as well- I didn't think it would be safe to drink. I nodded at him,
"Alright."
It actually didn't take that long, confirming my suspicions, Jack didn't linger over the archives or the storerooms, or the shooting range, he showed me the medical facility- which looked positively victorian, the boardroom- incongruous or what? Finally, his office, Ianto put the tea down on the desk inside as we arrived, "Thank you, Ianto." Jack slung himself down into the swivel seat, looking tired and distracted, swung his feet on the desk, and propped his head on two extended fingers, "You know, you're going to have to unbend sometime."
I considered this, I was tired now, it felt like 3-4 am, but Jack had offered no explanation for hanging around outside my house, him leaving when I faked a swig from the beer can was too much of a coincidence. I looked at my watch- 4.30 am, I sat down, leant my forearms on the desk, "Do you often show people round here?"
"No."
"Why me?"
"I told you."
"After trying to put me off twice. If you showed round the merely persistent you would be well known, and you are decidedly not."
"Not many people are that persistent"
"Horseshit, the conspiracy weirdos would eat this stuff up. People see stuff, and they would talk." Jack's eyes glittered at me, "Why don't they talk?" He said nothing, I rattled my fingernails on my still full tea cup, and looked at him. His eyes shifted to look beyond me, the rattly damp room was filling up with a whooshing noise, getting louder, taking on a high- pitched squeak like a rusty wheel, Jack jumped up and looked out the office window behind me, then ran down the stairs into the main room. A tall square sparsely ornamented blue box was in the middle of the room, about 3x3 by 7 foot tall, it didn't look quite there- I could definitely see the central pillar with water pouring down it through it. I ran down the stairs after Jack, they were all standing around watching it, they didn't look scared- it looked quite solid now, the noise was dying away, I put out a hand, unable to resist, Jack snatched it back,
"Not while it's materialising." The noise stopped, a thin door opened in the front, and a thin man with stupid gelled hair and a blue suit looked out,
"Hallo everybody!"
"Doctor." Said Jack.
The man was touching the box, so I did too, it felt solid, normal, I could see woodgrain, the man looked around and saw me, and said, "Ohhh. Hallo." He stared at me, I stared at him, he had very deep brown eyes. He looked back at Jack, "Jack, could I possibly have a word?" When he walked off to talk to Jack in a corner I saw through the door into the interior before it closed, inside it was massive, with arches and machines and wires, I stayed right where I was, I wanted to see inside again.
I couldn't tear much of my attention away from the box to follow the muttered conversation behind me, but I turned my head slightly to catch the tone, Jack wasn't pleased, Doctor whateverhisnamewas was quiet, adamant, they came back. Jack started ordering scans of the rift- whatever that was, I spared a glance at Jack, but he was ignoring me, Doctor Whatsit was gazing at me, I sidled over, "How's it do that?"
"It moves in time and space."
"Time too? How cool is that!" I stared at the box, "And the dimensions inside?"
"Dimensions? Oh, you mean the size." He paused, I looked back at him,
"Is that what I mean?" Dimensions? A different dimension inside? It made as much sense as anything else. I must have been drunk on my own brain fatigue chemicals, I wasn't scared of this guy or this thing at all- for a start- no-one had died yet, "Can I see?"
To my surprise he stepped forward and pushed open the door, it was huge inside, and sort of dull orange, dimly lit, organic looking, with a complicated, jury-rigged polygonal console in the centre, skeins of wires hung everywhere, and lights and wires were visible under the deck grating, worn looking seats bolted to the floor, a handrail round the raised console, I stepped over the threshold, I felt no indication of transition, but I smelt something unusual, kind of spicy, green, out of place and unplaceable. I walked a few paces to the left, definitely not an optical illusion- I would be outside the box here, I grinned, walked back to the door, stuck one arm out along the internal wall, and reached out the open door and hooked my elbow around the corner of the box's exterior, "Yes!" I yelled happily, my hands were now passing through each other in different dimensions- how cool is that? I laughed.
"Well," said Jack loudly, I turned to look, he was talking to me, "it looks like you're in."
"In?"
"In Torchwood."