FIC: Torchwood drabble - Survival Code

[fajrdrako]

Title: Survival Code
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Ianto/Lisa
Challenge: tw100, challenge: life before torchwood
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Not mine, no claims, all property of the BBC.
Notes: Spoilers for Torchwood 1x04, "Cyberwoman". Cross-posted to my LJ and to tw100.


Survival Code

Ianto Jones was the key to survival. She knew that, deep in the emergent connections of her hard drive. Weeping and determined, he rescued her from Torchwood London, restoring her in this dark tunnel. She had to scream as the woman had screamed, with the replica cyber-voice, ressuring him that his Lisa was alive. He needed a reason to keep her intact.

This man took a lot of maintenance, inputting of false code called 'reassurance' and 'love'. When he too was upgraded, this would be unnecessary.

Was it worth it? Of course. In the end, every human would be saved.

Comments

[janne-d.livejournal.com]

Yargh, creepy. I think that's the first time I've ever read anything from the perspective of the cyber part of Lisa and it made a lot of sense.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I like playing with her point of view. She's one of my favourite Torchwood villains - just as "Cyberwoman" is one of my favourite episodes. The stakes are high and personal.

[star-momma.livejournal.com]

It's actually one of my least favorite episodes, but the drabble is brilliant.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

How nice that you like my drabble despite not liking the episode! I am proud.

[cionaudha.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, that's cool.

"False code".... ouch.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

The whole Cyberwoman thing makes my heart bleed for Ianto. He cares so much, and is being hurt so badly.

[cionaudha.livejournal.com]

Twice in particular:

LISA: Together. Yes. Transplant my brain into your body. The two of us, together. Fused. We will be one complete person. Isn't that what love is?

IANTO: No!

*dies inside for Ianto*


And when pizza girl is going on and on about all the fun they had camping in Brittany and he's falling for it, and she tells him again that they can be upgraded together.

AGH.


I had never thought before now that her confusion wasn't confusion at all.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Either way, it's nothing but heartbreak for Ianto.

[agentxpndble.livejournal.com]

Augh!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

The moral of the story: don't let Cybermen come anywhere near where you work.

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

Ooh. That *does* work. It's chilling, and horribly sad for Ianto. I mean - sadder even than if it were really Lisa, I think.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure if it's more tragic if there's something of Lisa left, or if there's nothing. Either way - Ianto's only hope is in killing her, and that would kill him. What an awful no-win situation.

Luckily, he had Jack to pull him out of it and save him.

[raissad.livejournal.com]

Well done. :)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Many thanks!

[gypsylady.livejournal.com]

Eep! This was really good and totally how Lisa's cyber side must have viewed the world but ... eeeewwwwwwww. Suddenly I'm sooooo glad she's dead.... Even in fiction....

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I find the Cybermen (and -women) utterly scary because they are so relentless. No conscience, of course, they believe they are updating us and therefore it's a good thing.

This is one of the reasons I liked "Cyberwoman" - the stakes were so high, both personally (for Ianto) and in terms of the fate of the world.

My sympathies were all with Jack: the Cyberthing had to be destroyed and had to be destroyed fast. This made it very tense.

Add in the sort of love triangle - Jack/Ianto/Lisa... well. Great fun.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

I have a great fondness for Lisa, and for the part of Ianto that is connected to her. How much of the Cyberwoman was still Lisa, and how much of herself was Lisa able to maintain within the Cyberwoman? Those are the big questions. I like your last bit: I do think that the Cybermen thought that they were doing good. So, hm, I wonder at your talk of reassurance and love being a false code, used for attaining a goal but in themselves not worth anything. That's just me.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

How much of the Cyberwoman was still Lisa, and how much of herself was Lisa able to maintain within the Cyberwoman?

My (current) interpretation is that the being we saw in "Cyberwoman" was 100% Cyberwoman, and there was nothing at all left of Lisa. I don't know what the Lisa we saw in "End of Days" was - a vision set by Bilis, I'd guess, not a real being.

I do think that the Cybermen thought that they were doing good.

From their perspective, they were. Sort of.

So, hm, I wonder at your talk of reassurance and love being a false code, used for attaining a goal but in themselves not worth anything.

I don't think Cybermen have any concept of love, which is the whole point. In "Cyberwoman" the entity was trying to fake it, and failed miserably with her 'melding of brains' idea.

Now one could just as easily postulate that in "Cyberwoman", Lisa was still 50% of the entity, or 10%, or 90%, or whatever, but that the Cyber part of her was too strong for Lisa to control. In which case, my drabble is just as valid - but it's from the point of view of the Cyber part of her - it doesn't really change the picture.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

Yes. 100% cyberman. I'd sadly have to agree. With maybe just foggy overtones of Lisa's personality and desires.

But I did think she was sincere with the "melding of brains" idea. Which is why it was so devastating to Ianto right then. And why Jack went ahead and killed her for him, out of compassion.

and I imagine Ianto has continued to wonder, himself, how much of Lisa was really left, and -- therefore -- how much of her he was responsible for killing, by bringing her to the Hub and then having his plans fail so badly.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

100% cyberman. I'd sadly have to agree. With maybe just foggy overtones of Lisa's personality and desires.

I think it remembered things about humanity but without any sense of what humanity was.

I think Ianto felt very guilty about the situation, but I think Jack helped him through it.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

I agree, and I agree. Sad, but well stated: remembering things about humanity but without any sense of what humanity is. Is this Cylon-esque...?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Is this Cylon-esque...?

Interesting question! From what I understand of the original Battlestar Galactica, yes. From the current series - not at all. Except in certain physical and procedural ways, I see the Cylons as exactly like humans. They have to be, if they can pass for human over decades, even through marriages to humans.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

Okay, wow, is this ever on the edge of a major discussion....

I think the current Cylons are just as machine-like as the original ones were. I think that ordinary human beings can't tell the difference between another human being interacting with them, and with something that seems to look like a human being, interacting with them. I think that the ordinary human being will dismiss the bits of the iteractions that cause cognitive dissonance, that don't make sense to their notion of what actually is going on -- their personal definition of the situation. I don't see this as denial, or self-deception, but merely as the daily process most people go through in order to keep their world understandable and real to them.

I think the "skin job" Cylons have hit upon the key to perfect infiltration: hide in plain sight, and then smile and give a bland excuse when something obvious causes cognitive dissonance to the ordinary human you are interacting with.

That said -- yes, how did Tigh manage to pass for human during decades of marriage to Ellen, during decades of friendship with Bill Adama? I have no idea!

I am getting into the chewy parts of Season Three right now. D'Anna just got "boxed," for instance. (Gad, am I hating Brother Cavil these days! He's such a Stalin!) More and more, it seems that the humans are being helped on their journey by the hidden Cylons among them... and it came to me that the two journeys, Cylon and human, now seem to be one single journey. Anders was a key element on Caprica, and has been once since then; Tigh ditto, with the New Caprica resistance; the Chief found the Temple of Five, and has remained a key element of the Galactica's crew's emotional reality (much as I hate the character, I have to admit that). Tori, I know little about. But she's hot. And the final one...? I hope it isn't Roslin, because that would mean that the humans went along this journey with practically no input from human religious people, do you realize? That would mean that the Cylons have been leading the humans meanwhile they are themselves seeking Earth. And that would be really strange. But... nifty.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I think the current Cylons are just as machine-like as the original ones were.

I'm not sure what that means. Obviously they don't have metal skin, and they are physiologically indistinguishable from humans - that is, a doctor's examination reveals no difference. So what is the difference? The only difference they have mentioned is reproduction, but that's minimal - they are sterile with each other but conceive easily with humans. Or so it seems. The other difference is in the nature of their death and birth or rebirth. I can't think of anything else.

I think that the ordinary human being will dismiss the bits of the iteractions that cause cognitive dissonance,

But these don't exist. Have you seen any evidence of such? Ever? In terms of behaviour? From everything we've seen, Cylons act and feel exactly like humans. Sometimes more like humans than humans.

The only difference I can think - and this took some consideration to come up with it - is possible (or occasional) psychic connection between Cylons or between a Cylon and human, e.g., Baltar and Caprica Six. But that's elusive too, since he has as much of the psychic vision as she does. Unless he too is a Cylon.

Makes my head hurt.

Gad, am I hating Brother Cavil these days! He's such a Stalin!

Hee! Yes. And he opposes those I like.

More and more, it seems that the humans are being helped on their journey by the hidden Cylons among them... and it came to me that the two journeys, Cylon and human, now seem to be one single journey.

Yes, exactly. Not only is there increasion cooperation and interdependence, but minimal moral difference. Minimal practical difference of any kind.

much as I hate the character, I have to admit that

I agree.

Tori, I know little about. But she's hot.

I agree there, too. I wanted to like her, but sadly can't - she does horrible things. Not even, as far as I can see, horrible things in the cause of misguided policy and passion, like Caine did.

And the final one...? I hope it isn't Roslin, because that would mean that the humans went along this journey with practically no input from human religious people, do you realize?

Of course I realize - not that I care about the religion thing, that's my least favourite aspect of the show. I was hoping it was Roslin and she was my #1 pick for a while but now I'm less sure.

Mind you... I haven't finished watching the last couple of episodes. We might have new developments.

hat would mean that the Cylons have been leading the humans meanwhile they are themselves seeking Earth. And that would be really strange. But... nifty.

Which might be exactly why the writers are doing it; and it opens the likelihood for Adama being a Cylon, too, if you want an alternative.

A lot of people were saying Zarek but I don't think he's significant enough.

(temporarily out of service)

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

I want to keep talking about this, as it's fascinating, but right now I'm unable to: there are two people having a conversation somewhere near my car, and -- no thought processes can exist. More on that later.

Re: (temporarily out of service)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Okay - hold the thought.

[laurab1.livejournal.com]

That's very creepy, very cold.

"false code called 'reassurance' and 'love'"

Love that bit!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Glad you enjoyed.

This is why I like "Cyberwoman" - all that cold, threatening creepiness, with personal ties being subverted.