Anythingdrabble Challenge 198 - Big little problems

[m_findlow]

Title: Big little problems
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters/Pairings: Torchwood team
Word Count: 500 words
Rating: PG
Notes: Written for Challenge 198 - Tiny at anythingdrabble
Summary: The team are anticipating a big problem.


'What are we dealing with, Tosh?' Jack asked as he kept his foot pressed firmly against the accelerator, not bothering to worry about things like red lights, stop signs and pedestrians.

Tosh was in the back seat behind her computers busily clicking away. 'I don't know, but the readings are suggesting it's big.'

Owen groaned from the front passenger seat and then turned around to glare at Ianto. 'Great. And you said nothing ever happens on a Tuesday.'

Ianto bristled, arming his gun. 'It doesn't. Usually.'

'Well, it's happening now,' Jack replied, trying to keep them all focused. 'Whatever it is, we'll deal with it.' He floored the accelerator even firmer now, making the SUV's engine roar into life.

'We're almost on top of it now,' Tosh reported. 'Just by the river on the opposite side to the Millennium Stadium.'

'Maybe we can hope it's amphibious,' Owen said.

'Or maybe we could just hope it's friendly,' Ianto replied. None of them were looking forward to something huge and hostile.

Owen leaned forward, trying to get a preview of whatever was about to come looming into their field of vision. 'How big did you say this thing was, again?'

'Big,' Tosh replied in that serious tone that made her sound just a tad worried.

'So how come I'm not seeing anything yet?'

'Could just be really good at hide and seek,' Jack suggested.
'In which case you'll be the expert at finding it,' Ianto teased.
Jack swung the car around the bend as the road hugged the river, bringing it to a screeching halt just a s Tosh yelled for him to stop. They were all out of the SUV in seconds. 'Okay, anybody see it?' Jack asked.

'Nope.'

'Nothing.'

'It's really good at this hide and seek game.'

'Tosh, are you sure you got your readings correct?'

'Positive,' she said, circling around and looking in every direction. 'We should be right on top of it. It's literally huge.'

Jack flipped open his vortex manipulator and ran his own readings. 'Oh yeah, it's big alright.'

Owen rolled his eyes. 'So, where is it then? Don't tell me it's invisible.'

'Only to the naked eye,' Jack replied. 'It's a cloud of billions of microscopic alien organisms. Collectively huge, but actually tiny. You probably just breathed in a few thousand.'

Ianto reached for his handkerchief, covering his face.

'Oh. Don't worry. They're harmless enough,' Jack assured them. The human body is actually a pretty hostile place for them. We've probably killed a few million already. Just might make your snot an interesting shade of blue for a day or two.'

Owen frowned. 'Lovely. Can't wait for that.'

'I'll make a note to stock up on Kleenex,' Ianto added.

'Can't we save them?' Tosh asked.

'Only if you can get the entire city to stop breathing,' Jack replied. 'They'll eventually dissipate into the atmosphere or get inhaled. This is one time when there's nothing else to do. Some problems are too big to solve.'