thoughtformed | gr8 ideas

Yes.

[ takes a deep breath and rubs his eyes ]

Depends on the size and the sort of ship. Did no one think letting someone inside was a bad idea? How did it even—

[ stops, obviously trying very hard to be rational about this ]

... have you been inside it?

I don't think anyone knew what it was until it was too late. He seemed to have found it on its own. One of your incarnations recognised Dalek technology elsewhere on the island but it's buried deep and... I'm not sure that it can even be dislodged. I've been.. a little apprehensive about going back there.

[ Jack shakes his head, tapping his chin in thought. ]

No. I haven't been inside, but like I said, there's people living in it, like it's a flatshare or something.

... there is a chance it could be fake. Put there to mess with me, or one of the versions of me whichever was the most involved at the time. Or there was a dalek here before and it came with a ship, the same way my other incarnations came with their own TARDIS.

[ he seems calmer now, analysing things helps ]

Is there a registry of previous New Moore residents?

[ Jack pauses, turning the question over in his mind for a moment. ]

You know, I have absolutely no idea. With so many people going in and out, I never thought to check, but it's a good question. If there isn't an official one, I think I might know someone who does. Or at least has a fairly good idea if you're looking for a specific person. Who is it?

Not sure. Anyone from our world who could have had access to that spaceship.

[ leans back ]

I should look at it. Have a word with everyone living in it... am I the only one who knows? Out of the three Doctors here, I mean.

No, it's fairly well-kept knowledge. He frequently invites "special" individuals to the tower to live. He wants allies, Doctor. He wants allies in case they need to revolt and protect themselves.

As for the spaceship, well, it hasn't been too long since it's been discovered here. At least publicly. Anyone could have been in it before.

... who are we talking about? And what would he need protection from?

He goes by the name "Magneto". It's a chosen name, having chosen to forego a conventional name and try a title instead. Sound familiar? [ He doesn't even try to hide the smirk on his face. ] He seems to think that we need protection from the government. I'm not entirely sure that I disagree with the sentiment, but his methods...

Well, one of his rallies turned into an all-out riot. One of your future incarnations was shot in the middle of it.

He's got more in common with me than his name choices, then. [ He doesn't say it like it's a good thing, though. ] So, this... Magneto. Has seized control of what could be some of the most dangerous technology in the universe and he lives inside it... and he's on a mission to recruit "special" people. Am I following so far?

That's right. His focus seems to be on those with extraordinary abilities. He tried to recruit me, for instance, because having a man who can't die is probably quite the find for whatever he's got in mind.

Does he know what kind of technology he's sitting on?

He knows it's spacecraft. I doubt that he knows the extent of its uses or what it was used for.

That's good. Still got to meet him, see if I get recruited [ grins ] would be good to know what exactly he has in mind.

Do keep in mind that he may have tried to recruit your future selves, so it may be suspicious... You may also want to keep a leash on your screwdriver. I don't think he's much of a thief, but he may fancy it if he figures out what it is... And we can't have that.

I'm younger, more like him than my future versions, if his ideas are too borderline I might be able to help him. [ takes out the screwdriver from his jacket pocket and offers it to Jack ] Here. Hold on to it for a few days, let's see how I cope without it.

[ Jack looks genuinely surprised at the gesture and looks from the tool to The Doctor and back again, apprehensively reaching forth a hand to take it and look it over. There is a strange reverence on his features, but only for a moment before he realises that surely he was supposed to make light of this. ]

And if I keep it safe, will you let me touch the other one?

[ The Doctor just laughs, open and honest and just plainly amused. It takes him a full minute before he can bring himself to speak again. ]

I should feel insulted. [ but he's still chuckling, rubbing at the corner of his eye ] Honestly, can't take you anywhere.

[ When The Doctor laughs, that old, distantly familiar laugh, Jack can't help himself but to feel a sense of romantic nostalgia. He even sighs a little, clearly smitten, but straightens right up because, well, Ianto is right there, after all. ]

See? Time hasn't changed me that much. 2,000 years and I've still got it.

[ He takes a moment to look at Jack and be amazed by him. Two thousand years and still Jack. ]

Two thousand years. [ looks at the street for a moment, thoughtful, he could ask, but the Doctor hates it when people ask him questions about his past. It wouldn't be fair to expect Jack to tell him. ] Got better skin than me, impressive... well. Sort of impressive. Oldest incarnation of me has better skin than both of us.

Edited 2013-02-20 04:19 (UTC)

His hair's almost as good as mine. More length and body but I still think mine looks better. Only difference between us is that I still look the same. Well, mostly the same. At least I'm recognisable.

[ Jack can sense the questions from the Time Lord, and his smile shows it. He nods, conceding. After all, he had the right to know. ]

You have something you want to ask?

... when did you get to know me so well?

[ not what he wanted to ask, but it's good enough to get started ]

We've spent a lot of time together, Doctor. Don't think I wasn't paying attention. And you've always got questions about everything. You always get this look when you want to investigate something. It's an expression I remember fondly.

[ He sighs aggravated but in a fond way. Jack had a point, but it had been so long for him. ]

I would like to know about you. If you don't mind, that is.

[ He laughs and shakes his head. ]

A little mystery keeps things interesting, Doctor. You always sound so surprised when I mention how much older than you I am. Well... The reason for that is that after what happened on the satellite, when Rose brought me back, she brought me back for good. You called me "a fixed point in time". I don't age, I don't die. I'm always brought back to how I was when Rose brought me back. So I decided to try to do something good. I worked with Torchwood, mostly to wait and find you, and I did. But I went back to my team at Torchwood.

My past caught up to me there. My old partner in the Time Agency showed up, caused some havoc in 2009 and used his vortex manipulator to send me back to before Cardiff was even built. Back before Rome had fallen. Before St. Peter had ever even graced it. My brother found me there and buried me there.

[ Jack pauses, choosing his words carefully. ]

He wanted me to suffer. And I did. Every time I woke up choking on dirt, my skeleton and organs being crushed by hundreds of pounds of dirt. I wanted to die for good. [ He shakes his head. ] I couldn't. So I waited.

Eventually I was found and put into the cryo-freeze at Torchwood - eh.. long story, - and as luck would have it, woke up not an hour after I'd been taken.

[ The Doctor remains quiet and attentive while Jack speaks. He'd known about Jack's immortality, had felt it as soon as it'd happened, and he'd left. No time to think things through, he'd just ran. He shouldn't have. Not that there's anything he can do about it now.

He doesn't have any words to offer, he can't even claim to relate— the Captain has him beat in both age and experience. Instead, without thinking, his hand reaches across the table to grasp Jack's.]

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