23
They were looking at the screen as the drone flew over the warehouse and they all watched with interest as the roof came into focus.
"See? There it is. Cloaked but with this light rain you can see the weird shape. It's clearly Gitterton. Damn it. Drug dealers. They must be using this as a space port, slipping under the radar and thinking they are clever shits" Jack said softly to John and John used his finger as he began tracing the outline of the ship "That must go like stink."
"Last time we had one of those we got fined for breaking the nebular belt" John agreed, a wide grin as he swing to face Jack "I want it!"
"They do kick during a solar storm though." Jack muttered.
"Well… if they stole it… not like you are stealing right? Technically you are… ah … reacquiring it, right? Like… as a favor?" Ianto reasoned.
"Like a public service" John latched onto the idea "Not like I am breaking the code of my Smuggler's Anonymous at all, not stealing anything. Simply … ah … what's the word?"
"salvage" Ianto finally said with annoyance "That is the word you want to misuse."
"Yes, that one!" John waved a hand casually at Ianto "He is clever for an ape."
"Careful motherfucker" Ianto snarled "At least I am not a dreg from the gutter of the DNA pool."
"Ouch, kitty has claws" John sniggered.
"He's right though. You can claim salvage. If you take it they will be distracted by the sudden loss of their only ship off world and we can get in there to blow up their shit" Jack pointed with glee.
"Jack? What sort of alien being are they?" Ianto asked with confusion as three left the warehouse to walk across the quad looking identical. Same faces down to the scar on the top lip.
"Oh. Vampetica. They feed off lesser beings and then take on their appearance to hunt more." Jack said happily "Sort of like Nostrovites but they need to takes the DNA to copy, not just sight them like a Nostrovite can."
"So, not invasion of the body snatchers. We have shape shifters that can take on whatever form they have … tasted?" Gwen asked from the control chair she was now benched into for the duration of the upcoming 'salvage' plan. "So not someone dead form this, but… like maybe donated some blood or something?"
"Blood. DNA in it's best form yeah. You see, Nostrovites mimic, but these Vampetica need the building blocks to get it done. Why there are three identical right now, fed from the same body or person's donation and not tasted another human to choose a different face" John added.
"So, we don't' know who is real and who is not" Beckett complained "We can't kill our own."
Gwen started to rise from the chair and Ianto knew the argument about to happen.
"Why not? If they are human they are traitors working for the alien race that is slowly poisoning us. Or they are stealing the product from the aliens without a care for the effects on other humans and when the aliens find out we are all dead meat as to them clearly we all look the same anyway as they think it is OK to look the same" Ianto pointed out "So … they are not exactly peaceful right?"
"Ianto is right Gwen. They probably indulged and are Decayed now anyway. We need to clear them out" Jack turned to her and shrugged.
"Clear them out. Sounds so clinical" she pouted "They are still human beings."
"Jack is not saying that, he is saying that they can pee, that goes down the loo into the waterways, mixes with the water and adds to the problem. Also … if they think they are being raided do they flush their stash? Straight into the sewers…. How long before it multiplies enough to take out a city?" Ianto asked gently "For all I know … there might be an antidote. Thought of that? Maybe… maybe blood transfusions or patches."
"Patches" John turned to look at Ianto "What do you know of those?"
"That you can get some from New New York that deal with drug overdoses on any street corner. Enough to purify a person's system in a matter of minutes, right?" Ianto stepped up to him, close enough for John to feel that sexy heat from him "You can get us what we need no problem at all. If you so desired."
"Desired" John breathed "and might I get what I desired too?"
Ianto seemed to consider as Jack rose to give one of his snarls of passiveness when Ianto spoke "You get me… five hundred. Five hundred patches and I will blow your mind."
John grinned triumphantly at Jack as he drew up his arm and twinkled away leaving Jack standing there with his mouth wide open. He then turned to Ianto "What was that? That arse will not let that slide, he will want what you promised. Jesus H Christ!"
"I promised to blow his mind" Ianto blinked slowly "And I will do exactly that. Do not raise your voice to me Sir, I do not work for you. Remember? I have a higher boss and she is the one who has issued me with a directive to do everything and anything to protect the realm."
"At the cost of us?" Jack asked in a small voice and Ianto looked confused for a moment before he answered with a question of his own.
"What US exactly?"