Risk assessment by James Goss

Author:James Goss [James Goss]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: SF
ISBN: 9781846077838
Published: 2009-10-15T10:54:31+00:00

XI

MRS

GENERAL

In which Captain Harkness finds himself overruled, and he seeks consolation from a surprising quarter

Across galaxies of suffering, the Vam had seen many things. But even it popped out a few dozen extra eyes to survey the woman standing calmly in front of it. She did not seem afraid.

Curious.

Jack hadn’t even made it out of the car. At the sound of Agnes’s words, he sank back into his seat with a groan. Ianto Jones had seen Jack Harkness shot, stabbed and shagged to death, but only now did he see the life go out of him.

Ianto hurried round to him. Jack sat in the car seat, eyes fixed quietly on the flickering blue dashboard. He let out another groan and shut his eyes. Ianto stood there, torn between staying with Jack and running over to Agnes and Gwen.

When Jack spoke, his voice was little more than a whisper. ‘If I count to ten and open my eyes, will that woman still be here?’

‘I’m afraid so,’ said Ianto quietly.

‘Lie to me.’

‘She will most certainly be gone, yes.’

‘I don’t pay you enough.’

Jack opened his eyes and looked at Agnes with a despairing fury. He hoisted himself out of the car, his hand, just casually, brushing through Ianto’s hair. ‘Enough of this,’ he said, his voice firm.

He pulled his coat around him and strode over to Agnes.

Agnes was staring defiantly up at the Vam, while also quietly acknowledging the focused searchlights of the world’s media. She stared raptly into the black shimmering mass of the beast and smiled.

Gwen stood next to her, her face streaked with tears.

‘Jack,’ said Gwen. ‘You missed some pretty fantastic people.’

‘I know,’ he said quietly, and turned to Agnes. ‘Agnes. . .’ he began softly.

The smile snapped off and she turned to stare at Jack, an eyebrow raised.

‘Enough of this,’ said Jack, his voice sounding like a grinding millstone. ‘Enough bloody bonnets and la. It was all very well as a private joke, but it stopped being funny when you started World War Three.’

Agnes blinked, then grinned. ‘You treasure,’ she said, sweetly. She swept a lace-wrapped arm up towards the creature. ‘That, Jack, is the future. And it is beautiful.’

‘This is sick,’ said Gwen, loud and fierce.

If Agnes was disappointed, she didn’t show it. She tilted her head, slightly. ‘Yes, Mrs Cooper, it is. But it is progress. I discover that the twenty-first century is a slave to oil. It can’t escape – every alternative it explores is more costly, more destructive, more futile than making energy from fossil paste. And this creature is the answer: it takes almost anything – anything – and converts it into the fuel you are so dependent on. Very efficiently, I might add. Wales has overnight become the most oil-rich country in the world.’

Ianto made a noise. If it had been anyone else, it would have been described as a wolf whistle, but this was Ianto.

Even Jack blinked.

‘No,’ Gwen stood her ground. ‘I’ve seen what that creature does! It is vicious, it is cruel, and we’ve got to stop it.

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