24

"We found it"

Ianto looked up from the breakfast table as Owen came running towards him "We found it where you said it would be."

No! Really? Ianto raised an eyebrow and Owen grinned wider like he had heard the internal snark. They knew one another so well now that they could have an argument with just facial expressions.

"How far away is it?" Jack asked as he sat back and then reached out to wipe the little girl's face as she sat next to him in the high chair.

"Three hours at the most by the fast jet boat" Owen said excitedly, pulling out a chair "If we blast over and then send a drone around it, we can be close enough for anyone on board to know we are there but far enough away for they not to be able to fire on us or anything"

"Sounds good, we can make a day of it, recon it well. Make a decision tonight" Jack rose and Ianto looked at his little girl who stared back, then make a sign.

"I know, Alice right? Yes. You like her, huh?" Ianto asked as he lifted her from the chair and placed her down "Look, there she is over there."

He watched his little girl take off for another table and Alice was talking to someone as she noticed the little girl coming toward her, lifting her up onto her knee without breaking the conversation. She then kissed that little head and signed OK before turning to look at Ianto.

U got Her?

OK

Ianto nodded as she agreed to mind the child, going after Jack with coincidence as he knew deep down that Jack's daughter had her father's moxie and determination. She would die to protect that child, Emma was as safe as houses.

Time to get some new digs.

.

.

The jet boat was drifting as Owen worked the controls of the drone, his tongue between his teeth in a way that was strangely endearing.

They swooped low over the wheelhouse and then took it through the walkways around the sides of each level. Signs of struggle were evident, smears of blood and damaged doors told them Uglies had been rampaging at some stage and Owen took it lower, entering the staff area to find the large Mess Hall. It looked like a prison riot had occurred with flipped tables and chaos… except for one area.

"Pristine corner of the room there." Jack whispered.

"There, yes" Ianto said softly, leaning over to watch the screen as Owen landed the drone on the table. They waited and after a few minutes a figure appeared, walking towards the drone tentatively. He wore the remains of a uniform, along with a warm winter cardigan over top. Looked like a purser or steward maybe.

"Crew" Owen said like they might not have guessed and Jack shared an eye roll with Ianto that had them both grinning.

The man sat and stared at the drone, then said something in another language and two more appeared. A woman in a leisure suit dripping with jewellery holding the back of the man's chair possessively. Owen pushed a button to release the compartment under the drone, letting the small folded up paper drop onto the table.

The man read it out loud "Hi there. We are survivors looking for others. We are also on a cruiser safe from the Uglies who do not like water so will not swim out to attack you. Any Uglies on board can be cleared by us as we have weapons, if you need us to. We are here to help."

The other man said with a thick accent "Can we trust them?"

"If they wanted to hurt us or take the boat by force, why so this?" the woman asked and both men nodded. "Do you think they can hear us?"

Owen moved the drone slightly.

"Well, that seems an affirmative response" the man sitting down said with glee "Hi. Look, there are eight of us, none of us know how to even drive this bitch and we have been stuck here ever since everyone went fucking mad or got sick and died. We had just left port and were trapped here, those who panicked took off on the skiffs with the sick trying to find help for them and the lifeboats were deployed once the bodies started to pile up… it was madness. The Captain went insane and started to shoot the crew until he ran out of bullets… we hid. Came out four days later to this ghost ship. We have some food but are getting a bit desperate to know what is going on. They cut power, they cut coms and we could not find a radio frequency to hear if everyone else is ok."

"Ah fuck. They don't know" Ianto said softly "They don't know it was everywhere."

"Fuck" Owen agreed sadly, the poor saps about to learn the hard way that this was not a localized thing. Their boat was not an anomaly. Their survival was.

"Come on, let's board" Jack said and Owen nodded.

The drone rose and so did the three people, following it out to the side of the boat to watch the drone return to Owen, Jack standing on the bow waving to them "Hi there. Captain Jack Harkness. I know who to 'drive your bitch' as you put it. Happy to meet you."

"Oh thank god" the woman said with relief, others appearing from doorways to look over the side at the men approaching.

Ianto got ready with his knives to check the boat for any more Uglies lurking about.

He was glad to see that these people appeared friendly but you know Ianto. Trust no one. He would not feel safe until he had personally checked every fucking corner of that boat. All eight levels of it.

But he did see that she was a lovely vessel.

Yes, he liked the feel of this one already.