24
Owen was looking at Ianto with fresh eyes, leaning in to ask softly "Who are you again?"
"Shhh" Ianto replied, turning the wheel as they went around the bend and left the compound behind them, now out of sight of those who had waved them off. Ianto glanced at him and frowned, then said softly "Ianto Jones."
"Doctor" Owen corrected "Doctor Ianto Jones…. Holly fuck. You are a leading theorist …. Oh. Right. The Geneticist. You were doing research into DNA splicing and such right? You wrote that paper on… fuck. I was supposed ot be at that conference but… wow."
"Owen, if you can't say a complete sentence I might lamp ya" Rhys growled from the back of the Transporter "What are you talking about?"
"About five years ago I wrote a paper on the theory that an Alien Species might DNA splice it's genes into human DNA in an attempt to be able to live in our atmosphere. I put forth the theory that their home planet would not be compatible attmo wise and they would need to cross breed somehow to become humanoid in some way to be able to exist here."
"Yeah. It almost ended your career. Everyone thought is was an April Fool's joke. Wow." Owen sat back "wow. Only the fact that you made that breakthrough with the lizard thing…. You were forgiven."
"Lizard thing?"
Ianto sighed deeply "I cloned a lizard. OK? I cloned a fucking lizard. I didn't like doing it, it felt silly and sleazy but I knew it was what they wanted and they forgot all about me and my mad idea that aliens were going to invade the plant in some humanoid form!"
"Fuck. I guess the joke's on them" Rhys laughed hollowly.
"That's why you asked if I was wearing gloves" Owen leaned forward now to look into Ianto's face "you think it's a venom?"
"I don't' know but… art of my hypothesis is that they would also work out what hurt us. Like an acid or venom, look at what animals are our enemies… or some sort of infectious thing that would cause us pain, they would want to work with fear. I said they would be large, scary and would come in waves."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Mark asked.
"Because… I did my best to bury that. Yeah. When it all went to shit and I was sitting in my rental car watching that Pit Bull sized bug chasing down a woman I felt this weird disconnect. Like… watching a Sci-fi movie. I did wonder if someone was punking me. My theories are solid so far… why Rhiannon did not argue and knew that she had to go when I said so. I always said the main centers first, then they would push out into the large towns… then small towns… fanning out … the more people, the more likely to be hit."
"So, this conference you were at. I thought it was a computer geek thing, you being a super nerd." Mark said.
"Well, sort of… it was. A lot of our research relies on programs that do the work for us, sometimes several working at once in companionship to pull apart DNA strands and work out anything that was different, out of the expected norm… I did single out the DNA parker that causes Down Syndrome." Ianto said "We just haven't worked out how to remove it but the hope is…. Well… was… that one day we could set a program that replaced that gene with a placebo one, so… the chain was the correct number of active elements."
"OK… you lot me on DNA strand. Fuck. And you were living in your sister's basement? Like a crazy person?"
"My house burnt down, my wife died. I was… not as over things as I should be but the breakthrough happened and I had just secured a contract that would change everything. One of the more elite companies was going to scoop me up and provide me with a top quality lab… the works… I was going to change the world and save lives. Those who once aborted their unborns due to the DS marker… could one day simply take a pill or get an injection to correct the growth of the unborn… god." Ianto stopped talking, his hands gripping the wheel tighter. "Did I create the DNA splicing these things use?"
"Nah, they seem to already have than part down pat. You are so focused on it… the DS part." Owen sat back.
"My twin… believe it or not I was a twin. He was born DS, did not survive past the first year. His heart had a hole in it, as some are and… well. Gareth sort of ghosts me, like a shadow in the back of my mind. I should have had a brother. To love, confide in… to be part of his life too" Ianto shrugged.
"Well, for what it's worth I don't have a brother either and I turned out just fucking brills" Owen said with a wipe of his nose as he settled to look forward and Mark was the first to start sniggering softly as Ianto blinked slowly.
"Well… cheers for the positive energy Owen. You are one of a kind, I really cannot even imagine another you" Ianto said after a while "They broke the mold with you."
"Ah. Ta mate" Owen preened happily as Rhys shoved at Mark and they both giggled softly.
"Well… you and me could be brothers. Both doctors and both… well… loners. Like… lone wolves forming a wolf pack" Owen said after a while "the Lone Wolf Pack."
Ianto took a deep breath and focused on the road as he managed to choke out "Great title. Sounds good Bro."
Owen missed the twitching of Ianto's mouth as he held back the giggle that followed the words.
The Lone Wolf Pack moved closer to the homestead.