40

It started like any other day, laughter and general banter around the workplace as Ianto pretended not to hear some of the more derogatory things being said. Nothing brings out the lower intelligence than boredom and of course, Owen was the worst one for being a douche.

Lucia was now part of the crew, another foul mouthed creatin as they all roared and pointed their sandwiches at one another while trying to be more gross about something none of them really meant.

"What's that?"

Everyone stopped as Ianto suddenly spoke, all turning their heads to look up where he was squinting into the two suns. There was something there. Like a spec but it was moving… closer… it seemed….

"Fuck me, it's a space freighter breaking atmo" Ianto suddenly blurted with horror, reaching for his tablet and hitting the alarms.

As loud klaxons started to sound Lucia swung in behind him as he ran, falling into step like it was the most natural thing in the world to follow him blindingly wherever he was heading and as she saw the doors for the new bunker still under construction she knew that the space freighter was coming in too fat.

It was only once she had stepped inside with everyone else that she realized Ianto had stepped around them and back out, swinging back to make eye contact as the doors started to close.

"Ianto?" she gasped, shocked with herself for the level of horror he felt for someone she had already started to see as family. Oh god, what would she say to her kids? How would she face Jack?

"he's coming hard and fast Luce. Too fast. It will be like a comet hitting, the shields will fail, the ground will be impacted, and we are going to have what might be a world changing event. I have to protect. It's my job. My power."

The doors clanged shut as she tried to get out, the arms holding her back accompanied by Owen's soft voice trying to get her to calm down. She swung for the control room, running to see Ianto on the screen as he passed the cameras and headed at great pace for the upper ward, running like he was on an invisible hover.

She had no idea he was so fast, so powerful… or stubborn.

A side screen flickers and came on, Jack was roaring over the speakers "Tell me he's in there! OWEN!"

"Jack" she sobbed "He's out there running."

"Fuck." He slumped back, his hand going to his face.

"Are you safe? Are the kids safe?" she asked "Bubba?"

John appeared behind Jack, the little girl in his arms waving energetically as John told her the entire school was in with them and it would all be OK. Just hunker down and stay safe. She nodded looking back to the screen and Jack's eyes narrowed.

"Tosh? Get me the cameras, I need to see Ianto."

The screens flickered and then they saw him, standing in their own front yard, his beloved rose bushes he had been trying to encourage into bloom, feet apart and his arms thrown out like he was getting a rain shower.

He was screaming, his entire self was focusing on the task at hand. Then, behind him came another person, mimicking him, another… another… until there were eight powerful telekinetic mutants joining their powers to his, projecting as much powerful shielding as possible in an attempt to slow the descent of the vessel, giving it a chance to alter course.

"Why are they not firing some landing blasters?" Alice whispered to her father as she clutched at his shirt.

"Because there is either no one on board alive… or the bridge and AI are damaged which cased this to happen. A runaway" Jonh answered, reaching out to tuck her into his armpit.

"Is it working?"

"Yes, it is" Toshiko answered with her fingers working "Ianto has control of it, it's being turned for the outer reach… he is trying to control the damage …. We were going to build there. It just clipped the hall roof… god… he has saved the township….Damn… it's going to cause damage on the outskirts …everyone needs to brace for impact."

The distant boom had children whimpering, then the rumbling sound followed by the massive 'yerk' that had people screaming with fear as the ground shuddered like a wet dog.

Then the silence.

The lights flickered and swung lazily as Jack repeatedly called out Ianto's name over the loud speakers.

"Cariad"

Ianto's voice was flat as he came over the speakers and everyone froze to listen "It's down. It appears intact but with no landing gear employed, it did had a last minute deployment of the emergency thrusters that the system must have as part of the automatic safety features. I am heading that way, I want security to come and I really… really… want everyone to stay in the bunkers for now, until we know what was on board."

"Baby… you and your xenomorph phobia" Jack laughed softly, the relief palpable.

"I know… but I am thinking more of Space Fever or something" came the sighed reply. "Where were the crew? Even out of control, they could have signalled somehow."

"Oh shit. He's right. Something must have incapacitated the crew. If not scary little monsters, tiny little monsters…a virus or something. We have no idea where this ship came from, what is on board… I agree with Ianto" Owen called out "Full hazmat!"

Everyone settled down to listen to those who had their lives in their hands bicker, agree and move out.

.

.

"Are you OK?" Jack asked as he came alongside his mate, who was standing there quietly staring at the huge freighter.

"I am not detecting any life within… not even pets" Ianto whispered back "For a multi-level carrier … It's a ghost ship."

"Fuck off… really?" Owen asked, the hazmat suit not like the big bulky things of today but more like a wetsuit with a helmet.

Ianto nodded touching his collar to activate his own helmet and the team moved forwards, Toshiko's tech in a plastic covering to protect it from anything they might inadvertently come in contact with.

Jack punched in an override code for this model, his wristlet talking to him and telling him what this one's call sign had been as it made contact with the AI and he called back "This is The Gisborne."

"The Gizzy? Isn't that a livestock carrier?" John asked, "Fuck… you not picking up any animals on board Eye Candy? They can carry up to eight hundred animals from space dock to space dock for the farming planets."

"Not a ducky bird poppet"

Jonh found himself grinning at the strange man Jack had found in the wilds.

God, he was fun.