Chapter Text
Part 1: L0WR1
“Jack, Ianto that rift spike it’s building. I think you should get out of there.”
“Are you getting any more readings on-”
“-Tosh if anything happens you need to contain this energy. Don’t let it come back through.”
They were almost at the centre of the spike. Ianto could hear a buzzing noise somewhere- from inside him? He looked across at Jack, staring down at his wrist strap. A growing looking of concern spreading across his face.
“Jack I’m-”
Tosh’s voice crackled and cut out. Jack looked up at Ianto.
“Ianto-”
A burst of light. Ianto felt himself flung back but he didn’t hit the wall behind him. It felt like his head was being split open, like his body- every atom was-
He tried to open his eyes.
He-
“-and that is why you never go head to head with a Sontaran in chess.”
Ianto rolled his eyes as he placed his fork down, “I’ll be honest Jack I don’t think you should go head to head with anyone at chess. You’re not that good.”
Jack leaned across the table, devilish grin not diminished in the slightest, “Hey, I let you win that time.” Beneath the table Ianto felt Jack’s foot nudge against his leg. “I’m very good at chess.”
Ianto sighed, schooling his face to a neutral disinterest, “Well, I guess you’ll just have to prove it to me.”
“I will.”
The restaurant was starting to feel just a little too warm.
Thankfully Jack pulled back just as the waiter arrived with the bill. Jack went to grab it but Ianto got there first.
“My turn.” He said.
Jack shrugged, “Alright, I don’t mind being spoilt.”
Ianto ignored him and gave the waiter his card. In all truth it wasn ’t like he had much else to spend his money on. Besides Jack and Torchwood (which were mostly one and the same), there wasn’t a whole lot else going on in his life. Maybe he should investing in something, get an expensive hobby. He could get into collectibles. You know, collect something. He wasn’t sure what he’d collect. It’d be something.
Jack was staring out the window, a contented look on his face. Not a sign of the usual tension that seemed to reign under his calm facade. Somewhere in the distance a car alarm went off, the lady two tables down let out a great belly-laugh and a waiter on the other side of the room almost dropped one of the plates he was holding but saved himself just in time, glancing around to make sure nobody had seen that.
Ianto relaxed into his seat, feeling suddenly overwhelmed with a feeling of how nice this was. This quiet moment, and these dates with Jack Harkness. They were becoming a regular thing. Proper dates now. Dinners and movies and once a surprisingly nice walk along the bay despite the usual Cardiff drizzle. It felt borderline normal and just... nice.
He ’d pay the bill and they’d go home. A home that was seeing a lot more of Jack now and that was nice too. Maybe one day Ianto might even convince him to more permanently forgo sleeping in that damned bunker of his.
He pushed that thought down and the all too familiar glow that was starting to accompany it. Futures and plans. Just focus on now. Here and now and how nice it was, keep it simple and present and-
Both their phones buzzed. A massive rift alert in a warehouse just under a mile away from where they were. So much for a normal evening.
The waiter returned with Ianto ’s card and the bill.
“You ready to go?” Jack asked.
“Always.” Ianto replied with just a hint of snark.
Jack laughed.
Concrete. He was staring at a concrete floor. That wasn’t too weird. Almost the same as the floor of the warehouse. Maybe this was the warehouse.
God his head hurt. His whole body felt like it had been put through a wood-chipper and then re-assembled.
He pressed his ear-piece. “Tosh?” he croaked.
Static silence met him. That wasn’t great.
Look up. He should probably look up.
He looked up. A large tank full of green glowing liquid towered over him. That was a bit weirder. Definitely not the warehouse. Oh God he was gonna be sick.
“Jack?” He called out trying to calm his urge to start retching.
“Here.”
He turned to find Jack behind him, almost on his feet and looking way too put together for whatever had just happened.
“Did we just-”
“Yep.” Jack said, “Rift got us.”
Ianto threw up.
“Temporal travel’s always rough without a capsule.” Jack said unhelpfully, walking over to the tanks. Multiple tanks, Ianto realised. A whole row of them. And then another row behind that one with more and more behind them.
Ianto wiped the sick from the corner of his mouth. He looked around for something to place himself. Praying they’d been sent somewhere close and easy to get home from. Like maybe Newport in a month’s time. The tanks were definitely weird but there were weird things in Newport.
There was a black panel on the sides of the tanks with a series of dials and instruments Jack was inspecting. Otherwise, the surface was clear glass besides another panel at the top corner of the tank with a lit up word.
“Lowri.” Ianto read, “That’s a name. That’s Welsh. Maybe we’re still in Cardiff?”
Jack looked up at the panel, he frowned. “L zero W R one. Looks more like a license plate.”
Ianto blinked again registering the numbers. Right, well… that was not Welsh.
Jack turned back and held his hand out. Ianto took it and struggled to his feet.
“Ok.” He said, trying to keep calm and also not to throw up again, “Then we’re not in Wales. So, where are we? And when are we?”
“I don’t know.” Jack said, a slight twinkle in his eye. The bastard was enjoying this. “But, I’m guessing the window might be a good place to start.” He tilted his head towards the far wall, which now Ianto looked, was clearly a great glass window.
They walked towards the window.
“Well, Ianto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Cardiff anymore.”
The window ran floor to ceiling opening out onto a field of red and purple. The ground was pockmarked, ditches ran across it defended by what looked like razor wire curling out in rows as far as they could see. Like if someone had taken a photo of the empty Somme and turned the weird dial just to the right. And above it all three moons glinted in the sunlight.
Ianto’s mouth went dry.
“No that’s… That’s insane that’s…” he breathed, looked over to Jack who was bloody smiling. “I guess that’s pretty par for the course isn’t it.”
He heard Jack chuckle.
“We’re on another planet… I’m on an alien planet!”
Jack was still grinning. The bastard was really enjoying this.
“Welcome to the universe Ianto Jones.”
“Praise the gods it worked!” a tinny voice interrupted Ianto’s retort.
Jack and Ianto spun around, swiftly pulling out their guns.
“Ah! No it’s ok!” The voice squeaked and jumped back.
The voice it seemed, belonged to a small man. An small, unwell looking, gnomish man. With a jawline that would put the Hapsbergs to shame. He clicked some device in his hand and Ianto felt his gun suddenly burst into heat and his hands instinctively let go, dropping it to the ground. A clatter and mumbled fuck to his side let him know Jack’s had done the same.
The small, Hapsberg man smiled widely. On either side of him were two more figures, twice the size of the Hapsberg, fully clad in black armour and carrying very large guns.
“I told them it would work.” Hapsberg man near giggled, “And two humans! Two! Oh we are lucky!”
Ianto’s hand moved slightly towards the taser he’d hidden in his pocket but the two armoured figures lifted their much bigger, and much nastier looking guns at him and he decided against it.
“They look strong.” Hapsberg man continued, “Good genes.” He looked at Jack, “Great genes.”
Ianto rolled his eyes and purposefully did not look at whatever reaction Jack was having to that line.
Jack took a step forward, coming to stand just in front of Ianto. “Normally, I’d be flattered to be complimented on my genes. But right now it’s coming off just a little creepy.” Jack’s gun was still on the ground but there was an edge of threat in his voice, “Now who the hell are you and why have you taken us?”
Hapsberg man clapped his hands, “Oh I am so sorry. It has just been a long day. Week. Year… I don’t know. Look please do not worry. My name is Kaitiny.” He said gesturing at an embroidered patch on his overalls that read K8TNY. “And we have just brought you here for a sampling.”
Ianto did not like the sound of that word. Or the way the two armoured figures were moving towards them.
“Sampling?”
Jack barely had time to repeat the word and suddenly the two armoured thugs were on them. They were even stronger than they looked but even if they had a chance to fight them off the large guns shoved into their backs were very persuasive.
“Hey! Let us go!” Jack was yelling.
Their captors ignored him as they pulled them back around the corner to the tank they’d arrived at and began to pull them towards the dials and buttons.
Oh great, it was some sort of prison cell. They were going to be thrown into a green gloop prison on an alien planet and experimented on. Or maybe it was some kind of zoo and they’d been missing their human exhibition. Just once Ianto would like to go to an alien planet and just have it be nice. Surely aliens had beach resorts. Or a space bar and bowling club. Alien lawn bowls. Why not alien lawn bowls? But no, he gets the slave planets and green gloop prisons.
His captor was pulling his arm now, extending it and pushing it into a flap on the side of the machine. Ianto made eye contact with Jack. He looked concerned but not terrified. Potentially a good sign.
“Argh!” Ianto yelped as a sharp pain entered his wrist. It felt like it went through to the bone. Instinctively he pulled his hand back and was surprised to find his captor didn’t stop him. In fact they’d let him go.
Next to him Jack was just as free. The two armoured figures a step away, their weapons at rest.
Jack was looking at his wrist with a concerned look. Ianto looked down at his own where there was a small red scar but… that was it?
Kaitiny walked up to the tank, a wondrous look on his face as he looked at something inside the glowing green. Ianto tried to follow his eyes and then he saw it. A small sack in the centre of the tank, and inside, something seemed to be growing.
“What-” Ianto started, “What have you done to us?”
Kaitiny turned back to them, “Genetic sampling. Your contribution will be honoured. But you do not need to be worried. We will wipe your memories and return you home… and our army will march on stronger than ever!” Kaitiny beamed.
Ianto looked back to the tank. To the small sac and the tiny thing growing inside and was horrified to see what looked like limbs.