Nightingale: Agent of Torchwood

Ghost Machine [5]

"The first time it happens to Gale. A boy at the railway station." Jack explained back at the Torchwood Hub.

"Who's now in his 70s, alive and well, and living in Butetown," Owen noted.

"Second time, it happens..."

"Like the first, I didn't just see it. I felt emotions that weren't mine." Nightingale shook her head. "She was terrified. Her name was Lizzie. It was maybe 40, 45 years ago,"

"Toshiko, do we know anything about her yet?" Jack voiced.

"Elizabeth Lewis, Lizzie." Toshiko said as she pulled up information on the computer, "Only child of Mabel Ann Lewis of Hartford Street. Died March 29th, 1963. Raped and murdered on Penfro Street, under the bridge. 17 years old,"

"He killed her," Nightingale whispered.

"No one was brought to trial,"

"What about Ed Morgan?" Nightingale spoke up, "That's what she called him. Look him up,"

"It's kind of a common name,"

Jack nodded at Toshiko to do the search.

"I don't understand why this is happening...usually with my ability I have to touch the person physically. But I'm only touching a machine that wasn't even around during both events. So how..."

"Quantum transducer." Jack realized as he scanned the machine.

"I'd kill to get one of those," Toshiko said as she looked at the screen in awe. "Transducers convert energy from one form into another. They're in headphones. They convert electrical signals into sound. And they're in this device, too, converting quantum energy and amplifying it..."

"Into ghosts,"

"Of course." Jack said, "It's emotion. Human emotion is energy. You can't always see or hear it, but you can feel it. Ever had deja vu? Felt someone walk over your grave?"

Nightingale cleared her throat at the last one and gave Jack a pointed look.

"Ever felt someone behind you in an empty room? Well, there was. There always is,"

"A ghost," Toshiko finished.

Jack placed a reassuring hand on Nightingale's shoulder. "Tomorrow, we go looking for Bernie Harris and find out what he knows about this ghost machine. We do our job, and we find where this thing came from. Everyone goes home for the night except you," he told Nightingale.

Nightingale waved to the others and quickly followed after Jack, freezing when she noticed the array of guns laid out on a table. "Look, I know you're upset, but this is a bit excessive..."

"You need to know how to use these,"

"I'm much better with daggers,"

"Humor me," Jack loaded a handgun and handed it to the Time Lady. "Target's that way," he pointed at some cardboard cutouts.

Nightingale cleared her throat as she realized how close she and Jack were. "Right,"

"Unlike a sword, you will use one hand, not two. Right or left?"

"I'm a bit ambidextrous..."

"Right seems to be the majority with humans, so..." Jack positioned the gun in her right hand. He pushed her so her back was to his chest. "Turn sideways to the target,"

Nightingale took a deep breath as he swiped her hair across her neck.

"Looking along your shoulder, down your arm. Straight line to the sights. Bring up the gun,"

Nightingale raised the gun slowly. "It's all in the breathing, right?"

Jack looked down at her.

"You touched my neck, so I sort of downloaded the lesson," Nightingale shrugged. "Works great with foreign languages,"

"Okay, show off," Jack slid the gun back to load the round. He moved behind Nightingale, his hand sliding to her waist. "Show me what you got," he whispered in her ear.

Nightingale blinked when she pulled the trigger and saw it hit center mass. "Wow," she returned the gun to the table, but Jack handed her another. "Seriously?"

"You need to know every weapon and how each one handles,"

"Fine. But if you're teaching me guns, I'm teaching you knives," Nightingale took out one of her blades from its sheath on her waist and threw it down the range, hitting the target.