7

Ianto was watching the dynamics as they played out, the little groups forming and the jobs being allotted now there were more hands. He was not surprised to find no one offered to take any of his jobs over, more it was Gwen and Suzie delegating their jobs out. Typical. To tell the truth, they probably had no idea what Ianto even did.

As the days started to progress they also found their rhythm, all moving in their own scheduled ways with those trained to do so leading the others. It was Rhys who first noticed Ianto's disappearing act at times and commented on it to be told that he was supposed to do that, take time separate to write down observations and such.

This made a couple of the press a little nervy and leery around him, thinking he was reporting on them, not the Dome's efficiency. Ianto did not take it personally but was slightly shunned, sitting on his own at times as the others shied away from him. By the time Jack noticed this, it was part of their routines as well.

"Hey" Jack sat next to the man who was at 'his' table eating breakfast.

"Hey back at 'cha" Ianto repaid with a soft smile, transforming the resting bitch face he seemed to employ into a youthful handsome man. Jack could not help but grin back.

"So, what is your agenda today? I have to check the solar panels and the water efficiency for the sprinkler systems" Jack said as he tried for some conversation.

"I did that yesterday as I had extra time" Ianto replied and Jack sat with stunned silence as he had found a few of his jobs already done and had not been sure who was piping him at the post.

"Well, thanks. You like to keep busy, huh?"

Ianto smiled again, this time leaning back to show he was finished eating "I like my ducks in a row, yes. An unfinished part or a folder or file mending does rankle. I like things neat. Squared away. Yes."

"You don't mingle in the evenings" Jack pointed out as he looked around "They feel like you are a little standoffish."

"Oh, I am" Ianto nodded sagely "The one with the savage haricot is trying to hit on me all the time, her cameraman has touched my butt a total of eight times and I have not told him next time he 'accidentally' touches me I shall put him on his own arse, and the older gentleman who seemed to think he is in charge… keeps calling me boy. So… yeah. I am exercising a little avoidance tactic or two right now."

"Really?" Jack swing to look over at the press table, all still huddled to their own pack at times "He's not tried to touch my butt a single goddamn time. I think I am insulted."

Ianto's laugher rang to through the mess hall and everyone looked up to see him flapping a hand at Jack as he laughed, scolding as Jack laughed along with him. In that moment he seemed so human, so real.

Then Ianto was rising from his seat with a polite "good day."

As he neared the cart to place his dirty dishes on he heard a conversation and stalled out, trying to stare at Gwen who was complaining about the state of the water.

"And we have those fucking egg timers or how long we are allowed to run it, we have to use the special soaps and such that are organic because we can't fuck with the ecosystem and t's cold!" she was whinging "Why the hell do we have to shower in cold water?"

She looked up to find Ianto starting at her with open confusion "Excuse me… cold water? Why are you showering with cold water? The hot water system is capable of giving us all showers with ease… if we use the timers. That's what they are for… hot water control. The cylinders from the solar tanks only hold so much and each time they fill they are reheated by the sun or the solar power from the panels for that area."

"What?"

Ianto stood there and felt like he was in some reality show… oh wait… yeah he was. One with fucktards running wild. "Did you not read the press packs you were all given thoroughly? You did read about the solar power that runs this place as much as the thermal power from the huge rods in the ground, going so deep that they can harness the heart of the earth? I mean… you could not have missed tht. You did wonder what power would be in here? It's all solar or thermal. Well… there is the little hydro one in the West Dome that powers the sprinkler system but that was just for kicks. There is a backup system on the grid."

"Hang on there slick, did you just say there is hot water?" one of the cameramen cut in.

"Of course there is. Where have you all been bathing?"

They led him to the showers block they were using and he face palmed openly in front of them, opened the panel on the wall by the door and flicked a switch. Then he shook his head sadly like that had just got a D in an easy test, turned and walked off.

One of the men opened the panel and stared at the switches and the one that said 'Hot Water' that was now flicked to ON. "Well, fuck me."

"Fuck you… yeah… fuck me. I'm going to get a hot shower" the redhead yelled as she took off for the nearest stall to check if there truly was hot water.

The steam that day filled the Dome and they did overuse but since they had not used any for the first few days it was OK really, Ianto calculated that they had still not caught up to what their quota would have been anyway.

He wondered if any of them even still had their packs with them, or were they all outside the Domes on their desks at work unopened.

Fucktards.