Today, the body on the autopsy table was definitely burnt. Everyone but Owen stood in the gallery, overlooking the table - no one wanted to get any closer to that smell than they had to. Gwen held a handkerchief over her nose, apparently in an attempt to block the smell, Tosh kept wrinkling her nose periodically while attempting to maintain composure, and Jack and Ianto just studied the body fro a distance with matching expressions of distaste. Owen seemed to have become inured to it.
"Alright, Owen," Jack said at last. "We're all waiting with bated breath for your brilliant explanation."
"Mostly because we prefer not to breathe at all right now," Ianto added. Jack allowed himself a bit of a smirk.
"Alright," Owen said, looking up to the team lined along the railing above. "Best guess is that our newest visitor from the Rift has a sort of... defense mechanism. It gets agitated, and flash-heats the air around it. Anyone caught near by gets charred on the outside, but the heat dissipates quickly enough that the insides are more or less untouched. Kind of like a toaster oven, but with aliens."
Gwen looked vaguely nauseated - more than she had been already. Jack couldn't blame her. "You know, Owen, you've got a real knack for description."
Owen raised an eyebrow at him, but answered, "Well, I try."
"Stop it."
