Title: The Angel of Death (5/?)

Author: Emma

Characters: Jack Harkness, others

Rating: Starts PG. That's all I know.

Disclaimer: Oh, please. If I owned them, would I let some of those idiots write the scripts? And if I were making any money off them, would I be where they could find me?

Summary: Far in the future, Jack meets someone he never expected to see again

Author's Note: I don’t know where this came from. I really don’t.

Author's Note: Sorry it's taken so long. Real Life has behaved like a female dog in heat for the last week.

Part One is here; Part Two is here; Part Three is here; Part Four is here

Jack entered the control room to find Ianto sitting in the pilot’s chair cradled in Tosh’s neural net. The sight had become part of his morning routine. As soon as Jack headed for his morning shower, Ianto would pad in, barefoot and still in his exercise clothes, to spend time with the computer. Jack approved wholeheartedly; there might come a time when Ianto had to trust Tosh implicitly and that could only come with a great deal of personal interaction.

An added benefit was that it allowed Jack to put some distance between himself and Ianto. As nine-hundred-year-old memories surfaced, Jack found himself comparing this Ianto to his Ianto, looking for moments when this Ianto said something, or smiled, or turned his head like his Ianto. Each instance brought more pain and more self-recrimination, until even the smallest word or gesture seemed a punishment.

Trying to think of them as two separate people was becoming more and more difficult. There were differences, but they were more of degree rather than kind. It was as if the Ylnagii had enhanced and refined the qualities that had made Ianto Ianto. The final straw came when he found himself hiding in the engine room, shaking uncontrollably, because this Ianto had offered him a cup of coffee. So he had encouraged Ianto’s fascination with Tosh while he spent time alone rebuilding his outer shell.

The only place Jack did not subtly avoid Ianto was in the workout room. The first day out, he had asked Ianto for a sparring session, no hold barred. At first Ianto seemed hesitant, but after twice ending up with Jack’s foot on his throat, one hair’s breadth away from crushing his larynx, he had thrown himself into it. An hour later, Jack had given him his unvarnished opinion: while Ianto was superbly trained in three human and two alien styles of hand-to-hand combat, he knew nothing about underhanded, down-and-dirty street fighting. Ianto had immediately asked for lessons. In spite of his need for distance, Jack agreed. He would use every weapon he had at hand to keep Ianto alive, even Ianto himself.

This time he would keep Ianto alive.

He scanned the control panels. Everything was normal. The artron readings were a little high, but that just meant the coral was growing again. At this rate he was going to have to find another place for it.

“The perimeter register alarms sounded forty-five minutes ago,” Ianto said, coming up to stand next to him. “But Tosh said it was early yet.”

“She was right. Freeman's Dream claims a little more territory than Galactic treaties allow. As long as they don’t try to enforce it, most people ignore it.”

“They seem to think a great deal of themselves, though.” Ianto hesitated briefly, and then went on. “I also notice that they are somewhat…. inflexible… when it comes to sexual roles. Will that cause us a problem?”

Jack snorted. “Not that we’ll notice. We’re not likely to meet anyone outside of the Execs and some of the Techs. The vast majority of Freemen come out of their caves only when they absolutely have to.”

“Tosh has been explaining their system of government, if it can be called that. There was much that the Ylnagii don't know.”

“The Ylnagii are completely focused on defeating the 456. All the data they collect is in some way related to their goal. On the other hand, Tosh just likes facts and she's been collecting them for centuries.”

A soft ping from one of the panels signaled an incoming communication. Jack toggled the switch.

“Captain Harkness and Toshiko,” the voice had an odd cadence to it, as if each word was being processed individually. “Welcome back to Freeman's Dream. Your usual dock is available, Captain.”

“Thank you, NavTech. Connecting to your system.... now. Tosh, take over.” Jack toggled the switch off. “What to you know about the Tech?”

“According to the files, the Tech are primitive artificial intelligences used to operate and manage all the technology of Freeman's Dream, which is limited to their transportation and commercial needs. The Free Men pride themselves on their rejection of modern technological society. The AI's are their compromise.”

Jack studied Ianto for a few seconds. “How much of what you are learning are you reporting back to the Ylnagii?”

“Nothing.” Ianto answered promptly. “Tosh was concerned about it too, so I let her scan me very, very thoroughly, and gave her complete access to my private space, including the master passwords.” He gave a small sigh. “The Ylnagii would not do anything to irritate you at this point, Jack. Neither would I. I am very aware that you're my only hope of survival.”

“All right. Here's the truth, as best as Tosh and I have been able to find. The Tech are not AI. They are cyberconstructs.”

Ianto turned faintly green and pressed his fist to his mouth as if to keep from vomiting. “Cybermen?”

Jack rounded on him. “What do you know about Cybermen?”

Ianto took a step back. “Only what I've read in the Torchwood Archive files. A race of metal men who propagated themselves by taking humans and converting them. They attacked Earth several times during the twentieth and the twenty-first centuries but were pushed back to their own Universe by the Doctor. There have been no confirmed sightings of Cybermen since the late twenty-first century.” He touched Jack's arm hesitantly. “What is wrong?”

“You looked sick to your stomach.”

Ianto avoided Jack's eyes. “The idea of being trapped inside a metal casing, wired into a central brain that can override your own thoughts and instincts...” He shook his head. “It is one of the few things that terrify me.”

Jack tamped down his own reaction. It was not likely that Ianto actually remembered Cybermen, but obviously some emotional memory remained. “It's not a pleasant idea, no. The Freeman Techs are a totally different technology. It involves transplanting the brains and nervous systems of human beings into a non-mobile neural control center. From there they manipulate the Servos. That’s what the Techs call the machines that they control.”

“But they’re alive in there?” Ianto sounded nearly desperate. “Can they think and feel?”

Jack’s eyes locked with Ianto’s. “The Execs audit the Techs regularly, looking for deviations from the norm. If they find any, even the smallest one, the Techs are mind-wiped and rebooted. As far as the Free Men are concerned, considering the Techs sentient beings is a capital offence.”

Ianto nodded slowly. “Understood.”

Jack activated the outside viewers and they stood side by side, watching as the docking station grew larger and larger as they approached. Most of the docks were filled with ore miners and asteroid hoppers. On the far side, a huge deep-sleep carrier was tethered to several stabilizer cranes. The Toshiko swept in, a cheetah among hippos, sliding into its dock with elegant ease.

“We’re in,” Tosh sounded amused. “All the protocols are still the same as last time. You have an incoming call, Jack.”

“Put it up.”

The view of the docking station was replaced by Arabella Espinosa’s face. “Jack Harkness. Welcome back to Freeman’s Dream.”

“Thank you, Arabella. May I introduce my companion? Ianto, this is Arabella Espinosa.”

“Madame Espinosa.” Ianto’s Welsh accent gave Jack chills. “It is a pleasure.”

Arabella ignored him. “Jack, you have been raiding the crèches in Lalande?”

Before Jack could respond, Ianto stepped in. “I can assure you, Madame, that the age difference is not an obstacle.” The soft smile could have melted steel. “Jack is a patient man.”

“Oh?” Arabella retorted. “And does he have reason to be patient often?”

“Having no previous experience in such matters, I wouldn’t know how to calculate often, Madame.” Ianto’s smile widened as he rested his hand over Jack’s. “But I have no complaints. Especially in the mornings. And in the afternoon, in the library. And after dinner, of course. And…”

“I wonder if Jack enjoys having to play teacher as much.” Arabella interrupted the catalogue.

“Well, he says he does,” Ianto leaned forward confidingly. “And his physical response does seem to match his words.”

Arabella’s face turned an unlovely shade of puce. “Jack, you should perhaps spend more time training your toy not to speak so freely of private matters. Will you be at Mulligan’s tonight?”

“Most likely. I want to show Ianto the best Freeman’s Dream has to offer.”

“Perhaps I’ll see you there, then.”

The transmission was cut off. In the sudden silence, Ianto dropped a single venomous word. “Bitch.”

Tosh’s snicker was the last straw for Jack. He threw his head back and roared with laughter.