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"Captain," Ianto started, eyes on his PDA. "we've just been alerted to a closed door conference. Invasion turned peace treaty, looks like."
"Again?" Jack took another bite of lo mein and pushed the plate away, albeit mournfully. "All right, who're we talking about? PM's office? UNIT?"
As Ianto prepared to answer, the corner of his mouth twitched. "Yes, and the newspapers have just gotten it. Seems we weren't invited."
"Right." He used his fingers to spoon some chicken into his mouth and then stood. "Gwen, Tosh, damage control. Hold off the presses if you can. Owen..." The doctor paused, fork in his mouth, and Jack shrugged. "Leave me an eggroll. And Ianto--"
"Ah, yes," Ianto said into his mobile, silencing Jack with a hand in the air, "This is Ianto Jones, calling on behalf of Torchwood. I'm going to need to speak to the Prime Minister."
"Okay," Jack finished, with a rather weak handwave. "That's what I was going to say."
When the phone was handed over a moment later, Jack was greeted with the voice of Harriet Jones. "Captain," she said, her voice sharp. "I understand you've been making noise regarding our visitors."
"Why weren't we informed?"
"Believe me, UNIT advisors are cooperating in the proceedings every step of the way."
"So?" Jack countered angrily. "We still have a right to details. Now." He ground his teeth. "What have they offered you?"
Reluctantly, she answered, "The cure for cancer, to begin with."
"And asked for nothing in return." As made an affirmative noise, he rolled his eyes at Ianto. "And you don't think that's just a little bit suspicious?"
"It's a gift. One of many. A gesture of goodwill."
"Well, refuse it!"
"You can't make that decision for Great Britain, Captain. Let alone the entire world."
"Of course we can. We're Torchwood."
"You are," Harriet Jones said, sighing, "and though I know you think my organisation is not fit to hold a candle to, we are still the legal government. I'll have Alex phone you with the results."
"Harriet--" he started, only to be cut off with, "Goodbye, Captain Harkness."
And then she hung up.
"It doesn't happen this way," Jack said to the mobile in his hand. "You figure out the cure for cancer on your own. Another hundred, hundred and twenty years, but not now. Everything changes--"
He looked to his team, eyes dark and determined. "But not like this."
"Again?" Jack took another bite of lo mein and pushed the plate away, albeit mournfully. "All right, who're we talking about? PM's office? UNIT?"
As Ianto prepared to answer, the corner of his mouth twitched. "Yes, and the newspapers have just gotten it. Seems we weren't invited."
"Right." He used his fingers to spoon some chicken into his mouth and then stood. "Gwen, Tosh, damage control. Hold off the presses if you can. Owen..." The doctor paused, fork in his mouth, and Jack shrugged. "Leave me an eggroll. And Ianto--"
"Ah, yes," Ianto said into his mobile, silencing Jack with a hand in the air, "This is Ianto Jones, calling on behalf of Torchwood. I'm going to need to speak to the Prime Minister."
"Okay," Jack finished, with a rather weak handwave. "That's what I was going to say."
When the phone was handed over a moment later, Jack was greeted with the voice of Harriet Jones. "Captain," she said, her voice sharp. "I understand you've been making noise regarding our visitors."
"Why weren't we informed?"
"Believe me, UNIT advisors are cooperating in the proceedings every step of the way."
"So?" Jack countered angrily. "We still have a right to details. Now." He ground his teeth. "What have they offered you?"
Reluctantly, she answered, "The cure for cancer, to begin with."
"And asked for nothing in return." As made an affirmative noise, he rolled his eyes at Ianto. "And you don't think that's just a little bit suspicious?"
"It's a gift. One of many. A gesture of goodwill."
"Well, refuse it!"
"You can't make that decision for Great Britain, Captain. Let alone the entire world."
"Of course we can. We're Torchwood."
"You are," Harriet Jones said, sighing, "and though I know you think my organisation is not fit to hold a candle to, we are still the legal government. I'll have Alex phone you with the results."
"Harriet--" he started, only to be cut off with, "Goodbye, Captain Harkness."
And then she hung up.
"It doesn't happen this way," Jack said to the mobile in his hand. "You figure out the cure for cancer on your own. Another hundred, hundred and twenty years, but not now. Everything changes--"
He looked to his team, eyes dark and determined. "But not like this."