[#039] Leaving Home (Torchwood)

[badly_knitted]

Theme Prompt: [#039] – Celestial Bodies
Title: Leaving Home
Fandom: Torchwood
Rating/Warnings: G / None.
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 986
Summary: A year after Children of Earth, Ianto is about to leave earth with Jack.



“Where is this cargo ship of yours anyway?” Ianto asked as Jack led him out of the small private hospital to a nondescript car. It was two weeks since he’d woken from cryogenic suspension in the hospital, more than a year after the 456 tried and failed to take earth’s children, and he was still a little surprised to find himself alive, considering he clearly remembered dying.

Jack, it turned out, had spent decades tracking down a device that could restore Ianto’s straying spirit to his body, and when he’d finally got his hands on it, he’d travelled back in time to save him. Now, in the spaceship Jack had acquired during his travels, they’d soon be heading out among the stars, just like Jack had promised him they would someday.

Ianto was surprisingly fine with the idea of leaving everything he’d ever known behind him. As far as most people, including Ianto’s family, were concerned, he was dead. There was little left for him on earth other than memories, many of which he’d just as soon leave behind, and besides, he’d always wanted to see all the places Jack had told him stories about.

“It’s parked in orbit. Don’t worry, nobody can see it, it’s cloaked. Landing it down here would’ve been tricky because of its size.”

“I thought you said it was small.”

“It is, for a spaceship; one of the smaller cargo models, designed for a two- or three-person crew, but it’s still about the size of the Millennium Stadium. What’s the point of a cargo ship that doesn’t have room for cargo?”

“Ah, good point. So how do we get to it?”

“We use its shuttle. I already took all your personal effects up to it, plus a bunch of stuff I liberated from Torchwood’s archives that might come in useful. Got the coffee machine, and a good supply of premium coffee beans too. We can always come back for more.”

“Good thinking,” Ianto smiled. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go!”


OoOoO


Several hours later, they settled into their seats aboard the shuttle, its cargo hold packed with last-minute essentials picked up on the way. Ianto strapped himself in as Jack ran through his pre-flight checklist.

“All lights blue for go!” he announced, flicking the last few switches and powering up. “And we have lift-off!”

Ianto barely felt them leave the ground thanks to the shuttle’s inertial dampeners, and they climbed rapidly through the earth’s atmosphere. The planet of his birth fell away behind them, and almost before Ianto knew it, they were heading out into the vacuum of space, on a direct approach to the cargo ship that would be his new home.

“How are we going to see the ship if it’s cloaked?”

“The shuttle’s sensors can detect it, and once we get inside the cloaking field, we’ll see it too…” Jack fell silent, guiding the shuttle, then abruptly it was as if they’d passed through an invisible barrier, which Ianto supposed they had, because the bulk of the cargo ship was right there in front of them, docking bay door opening invitingly. “There she is!”

“Wow, that’s… big!”

“I called her Jack’s Hope, because that’s what she’s been to me, but I think maybe we should re-name her.” The shuttle slid into the docking bay, the doors closing behind them, and as Jack set the small vessel down beside an identical one, docking clamps locked onto it to hold it in place and the bay re-pressurised. “Home sweet home! Come on, let’s unload our supplies and I’ll show you around. The living quarters are larger than in most models; that’s why I picked this one. There’s a good-sized galley, a lounge area with state-of-the-art entertainment system, and two big bedrooms with en-suite bathing facilities. Sonic showers, but you’ll get used to them.”

They grabbed bags from the rear of the shuttle and made for the galley to unload everything into storage made up of stasis units, which would keep their food at peak freshness indefinitely. From there, Jack showed Ianto the rest of their quarters before leading him to the bridge, where pilot and co-pilot seats faced a viewscreen rather than a window.

Ianto barely noticed the layout, because his eyes were locked on the curved viewscreen, which ran around three sides of the bridge. The view was breathtaking. Off to one side floated a massive blue ball, with patches of green and brown on its surface, occasionally obscured by drifting wisps of white. To the other side was another, smaller, greyish-white globe, its surface pitted and scarred. The earth and the moon; Ianto had seen pictures of both taken from space, but the reality was even more impressive than the photos.

Without even realising, he walked towards the screen, reaching out with one hand as if he could touch the earth, tracing the shape of Great Britain, just about visible through the drifting clouds, lingering on the south coast of Wales where Cardiff lay, tucked safely within the Bristol Channel. Seeing his home, so near and yet so far, sent a pang of sorrow through him. He was leaving everything familiar behind.

“Will I ever see earth again?”

“Sure you will.” Jack draped his arm around Ianto’s shoulders in a hug. “We can visit whenever you want, although we should probably avoid Cardiff for a few years, unless we wear disguises. And we’ll keep in touch with Martha, I gave her a communications device, she’ll keep an eye on your family and send pictures. Rhiannon knows her; they met at your funeral.”

“That’s good.” Ianto tore his gaze away from earth and smiled at Jack.

“Where d’you want to go first?”

“I have no idea, except…”

“What?”

“Can we swing by Saturn? I’d like a look at the rings.”

“Whatever you want,” Jack grinned. “Strap yourself in. We’ve got a whole universe to explore; you’re gonna love it!”


The End




 

Comments

[m_findlow]

Aw, their first big step out into the wide endless universe together! Lovely.

[badly_knitted]

They have a lot to look forward to!

Thank you!

[ladybrooke]

Sorry for the late comment, but this is adorable! I love the end and how Jack reassures Ianto that he'll see Earth again.

[badly_knitted]

Thank you! This is sort of a sequel to a recent fic of mine, and will be labelled as such when it gets posted to my journals. Yes, Ianto will visit earth again, probably many times, but for now it's time to go and see what else the universe has to offer.