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antigwenallies Mar. 17th, 2008 12:02 am)Title not withstanding, there is no happy ending in sight what so ever in this sparkling new Torchwood spin-off series ;-)
Life on Mars: The Gwen Cooper Chronicles. Episode 1 (Title courtesy of love_jackianto)
http://community.livejournal.com/antigwenallies/47375.html
Link to Episode 2
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Gwen was sitting at her desk, pretending to work on a profile, while really staring over at Jack in his office. She never even noticed Ianto coming up behind her until he dropped an envelope on the desk in front of her, it was marked with the Torchwood emblem, on the front in the corner where the stamp would go, and on the back, crossing the flap and the back of the envelope like a seal. She had never seen stationery like this in all the time she had worked here. Seeing her looking at it with blank confusion, Ianto rolled his eyes.
“It’s an internal mail envelope, you don’t see them much because there’s no need for them as a rule now that Torchwood One is gone. The little chap in
“So why do I have it now?”
“I have no idea, the point of it being in the envelope with your name on it, would be that you are the intended recipient, I suspect. Therefore, the only way to know what is in it, old fashioned as the idea might be, would be to open it,” he said in irritation, walking away to get Jack’s coffee mug from his office.
Gwen frowned at his back for a long moment, wondering what Jack saw in him as she watched the Captain smile sweetly up at Ianto as the other man took his mug, then turned her attention back to the envelope.
Gwen slid her finger under the flap, tearing the envelope open and pulling out the single sheet of paper with the official Torchwood letterhead. Jack’s signature at the bottom of the sheet puzzled her. Why on earth was he writing to her, when he was less than 20 feet away, and could talk to her in person far quicker than writing a letter. Her eyes skipping back to the top, she started to read the typewritten sheet.
To; Gwen Cooper, Torchwood operative 5992,
Due to the recent rediscovery of Torchwood Four, I am pleased to confirm your promotion and transfer to take command of the re-commissioned branch of this organization.
Your promotion is official as of the 16th (sixteenth) of March, and you will take command of Torchwood Four on the 25th (twenty fifth) of March.
Your contract has already been amended to show your new position, and salary. The salary increase of £5000 (five thousand pounds) per annum will also become effective as of March 16th (sixteenth).
Congratulations, and much luck in your new role;
Captain Jack Harkness
J Harkness
Gwen stared at the letter for a long moment, reading it over and over again, then her heart soared, Jack had recognized how important she was to Torchwood, had given her a position that befitted her skills.
Tosh and Owen both jumped out of their skins as Gwen screeched shrilly, jumping off her chair, and the sound of something smashing in the kitchen indicated that Ianto had been just as startled by the noise. Tosh shot a quick glance at Jack, but he didn’t seem startled, in fact he was wearing a smirk as he briefly met her eyes.
“I’ve been promoted,” Gwen yelled shrilly, dancing around her desk, waving the letter in the air.
“What?” Owen demanded, snatching the letter out of her hand and looking at it.
“A pay rise and command of Torchwood Four,” he confirmed to Tosh and Ianto, who had stepped out of the kitchen.
“I have to go and tell Rhys,” Gwen said, grabbing the letter back and snatching up her bag and coat, running out without a backward glance in her eagerness to tell her husband she had been promoted.
The other three gathered in the doorway to Jack’s office after she had gone, looking at Jack accusingly.
“You promoted her,” Owen said.
“Yep,” he confirmed with a grin.
“Why? She’s useless, there must be better people to take command of Torchwood Four, and how come none of us knew it had been found either?” Tosh asked.
“Come on guys, have a little faith in me. One, it gets her out of our hair; we’ll never have to deal with her smug, supercilious attitude again. Two, well, that’s a surprise. You weren’t told it had been found because…. Actually, that’s related to two, you’ll have to wait and find out that when she does,” Jack said with a shark like grin.
“When will that be?” Owen asked.
“As soon as she’s signed the new contract, and can’t refuse the position,” Jack said darkly.
The week that passed between Gwen getting her letter, and the day she was to sign her contract, Gwen was insufferable, ordering everyone around as if she was their boss, not Jack, and by the time he called her into the conference room to sign her updated contract, the rest of them were ready to kill her.
Ianto was just putting a mug of coffee down for Tosh when the plasma screen across the room flickered on. He and Tosh went over, quickly followed by Owen when they realized the screen was showing the conference room, where Gwen was just putting the pen she had used to sign her contract onto the table. She gave Jack a simpering look.
“Thank you so much for this promotion Jack, it’s great that you’re giving me this chance to really show you how much I have to offer you, and Torchwood.”
“Well, it’s going to be very different to what you’re used to Gwen, a new challenge, you might say.”
“Why, how much different can it be?” She asked, suddenly worried.
“It’s less about investigating, and more about observation,” Jack said, picking up the contract and slipping it into a leather folder before turning to look at her again.
“Torchwood Four has been found, on Mars. It was clearly taken there by alien interference, I suspect the Judoon, they are one of the few races that have the tech to steal entire buildings. Anyway, once they’re gone, they won’t be back, so we’re reclaiming the building. I contacted a friend, who called in some favours, and the building is now inside an envirodome, it has air, water, gravity, everything you could need. It’s been converted to a listening post, you’ll be watching out for approaching alien ships, and contacting us here if you see anything. Torchwood Four is Earth’s new early warning system, a vitally important position, and a very great responsibility. I hope you can be trusted with it.”
Gwen stared at him, her mouth opening and closing, and he was reminded of a huge fish he had seen when Ianto dragged him to the aquarium one day when he was babysitting his nephew. Out in the hub, watching the screen, the others fell about laughing at the look on her face, finally understanding what Jack had been talking about when he had given Gwen the promotion.
“I can’t go to Mars; I don’t want to go to Mars. You can’t do this to me Jack.” She whimpered.
“It’s a promotion Gwen, it’s what you wanted.”
“No, you can’t. I’m not going to Mars, that’s all there is to it. You can’t make me Jack.”
“You’re under contract Gwen; you will go where you’re sent. Your ONLY other option is to have your memory wiped, that will be all of your time with Torchwood wiped out, you’ll forget everything, including, might I add, your wedding. Rhys too, Gwen, we’ll have to take his memory too, from the day you brought him into this.”
“You can’t retcon me Jack, it doesn’t work,” she said, looking down her nose at him.
“Gwen, retcon is only for people where there is a chance we might someday want them to remember. I’m talking a total mind wipe, not hiding the memories Gwen, taking them completely. Nothing will ever be able to recover them,” Jack said coldly.
“But……Mars. Jack, what about Rhys, are you saying you’re sending him along?”
“No.”
“So how am I supposed to explain this to him?”
“Not my problem, Gwen. You’ll need to be ready to transmat on the 25th, so you might want to make it fast. You can take the rest of the day off to start tying up your loose ends.”
Gwen hurried out without another word, dropping her eyes away from the others, who were all staring at her with barely suppressed laughter.
Jack came out of the conference room when she was gone, looking to his team with a smile.
“Are we all happy now?” He asked, and the four of them all dissolved into laughter.
TBC
Coming up in Episode 2
What will Gwen tell Rhys? Will there be any friendly faces in her new posting on Mars? Stay tuned to find out next week.
Tag, in the spirit of Torchwood, would someone else like to pick up the baton, and write episode 2, or would you rather I did it myself?
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Oh, if only the show writers would come up with that as a plot....
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I loves it :D
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*keels over in hysterics*
Yes, I know I'm about a year late, but I've just discovered Torchwood a month or so ago and this comm last week, so I hope I can be forgive. ;)
Great story idea!
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