20
The man came. Mr Not Momoa. Ianto had started calling him that in his head. MNM.
Why not, they can have ZDs I can have a MNM. Right?
"So glad you could make it" Ianto smiled softly then motioned, "This is my girlfriend Lucy. Don't mind her, she is always looking at things like she wants to have them but on my salary, she will have to settle for just looking at everything. Like a nervous habit."
This set the tone for the MNM opening his suitcase and getting out what appeared to be things to catch a dog that Lucy openly picked up and fiddled with, finding them to be a little bit more, her eyes widening as she found something that should not have been in there, placing it down quickly as Ianto maintained eye contact with the man who had no idea she was wantonly messing with his stuff behind his back.
She mouthed 'alien' at Ianto who had a momentary pause to process, then he changed tack like a pro, asking MNM if he wanted a coffee? "Have me own little machine back here, come see."
"My brother is due any time to help me catch the damned thing" MNM said looking at the doors with concern, the dusk approaching.
"Oh, the one that owns the dog?" Ianto asked innocently, knowing this one was clearly not the dead one out back dripping everywhere.
"No, the other one" the MNM said as he glanced back, finally seeing Lucy fiddling with the leash like it was interesting "Don't touch things, right?"
She shrugged and slid off the stool to wander over to the cabinet of surveillance tat, fiddling with that now.
"Like I said, don't mind her. Fiddled with things like a nervous tick Tell me, are you a cream or sugar man?" Ianto ushered him though the bead curtains and she swooped don the piece of alien tat, holding it up to the camera as Jack made a small opines and John simply chortled and pointed like an idiot at the new concept.
"That's a voice modulator!" John finally said "Why the fuck would they need that Jav?"
"Jav?" Rex repeated and Jack threw him the patented 'shut up' glare.
"Well … if they need a modulator, and clearly one that is of Thermadorian elk … they are not oooooo. Shit. This is not a domestic after all. Wow" John leaned forward with glee "I stumbled into a galactic smuggling ring?"
"Maybe they did" Jack surmised "They are skimming off someone's shipment without realizing how close to the sun they are flying."
"Huh? What does the sun have to do with anything?" John frowned.
"It's a saying. They have a legend here of a man called Icarus who built wings from tar paper and feathers, flew. Was so excited he kept going up, flew too close to the sun, the wings melted and he fell to the sea and drowned. The Icarus effect is someone who pushed their limits too far." Jack explained patiently.
"I've heard that somewhere. Huh. Never knew it was a Sol3 thing" John smiled softly, "So … we have some SOL3 natives who are skimming off a galactic order so… this one out there looking for that dog is clearly not part of the SOL3 contingent. Is he."
"No. Clearly this is the cause of the Decay. Sol3 DNA is so…. Basic. Like… not even to thirds our stand lengths…"
"Hey!" Rex spluttered "What are you calling basic?"
"In the time where we come from the DNA of most people is so advanced from what it is here on this little back water planet it is a wonder we can even procreate with your kind" John sniffed "If Jack had not done so, I would not believe it."
"Do not bring my children into this" Jack warned in a low tone, bristling now "Or you shall learn a thing or two about my advanced temper as well."
Ianto had slid his hand to his concealed sidearm as John spoke about Jack's children and John realized he could hear them through the open coms. John blinked as he caught the motion then he turned back to Jack.
"Still don't share well with others, do you Jav" John sighed, then leaned back "Go on then. Tell me … what's the go?"
"Ianto will have come to the same conclusion we just have and is in the process of Retconning him back a few days. He will fall asleep and be pliable. As he also will the one knocking on the door right now. We will take them to a park, implant a suggestion that the dog is there and they are chasing it. Meanwhile we will dig out that fucking chip that brought them to our door and place it in one of the rats, release it into the park and let them go hunting wildebeests in Manhattan."
"This is Cardiff and they don't have wildebeests here" John was confused again and Jack sighed, seeing how dense his partner really was.
"It's a figure of speech. Like … running an idea up the flag pole to see if it flies. Not a real thing, you don't actually attach an idea to a flag hitch and host it up right?" Jack was now getting annoyed and stopped, reminding himself that John was enjoying this. "Drop it. There… the second one is about to… what?"
Ianto had come up with the same conclusion as them, only … the first one got Retcon. The second one got a little something else he knew might serve them better. Ianto watched the man topple and fall to the floor, then crouched to wait for the truth serum to reach his brain.