Time and the Trickster

By Lumendea

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Torchwood One: Debate

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

…

"You have wonderful timing," Hartman said to her. "But then I'm sure you know that." Hartman looked over at Rose with a smile. "I'll be honest I was expecting you to try the back door, not the front one."

"I thought about it," Rose admitted. "But I realised that you are an intelligent and reasonable woman."

"Flattery Rose?" Hartman asked with a smile.

"Actually no," Rose answered with a shrug. "You wouldn't hold this position otherwise." Rose turned to face Hartman directly. "You're currently holding a member of the Otharan Council and a Serlan Class Battlecruiser is on its way into the Solar System. I'm sure you'll detect in in the next half an hour or so. This is a friendly warning."

Hartman laughed cheerfully. "That's a nice try Rose," she complimented with an amused smile. "But I doubt it. A small ship crashed on our planet and this time we actually have a survivor." Hartman fixed Rose with a look. "We got there first. I don't know what Benton thinks sending you here with that kind of a story will accomplish, but this one is ours, this one is Britain's."

"Hartman I'm serious," Rose argued as the lift doors opened. She didn't really pay much attention to where she was as she followed Hartman.

"In 1996, a Jathaa Sunglider was shot down over the North Sea," Hartman told her. "Do you know what the Jathaa did? Nothing. Since then we have reverse-engineered their technology and now we have a working prototype defence weapon."

"Not every species will be willing to allow you to profit off of their tragedies," Rose told her. "The Otharans are not going to abandon one of their own on Earth. Like I said this is a member of the Council."

"If that's true then he will have valuable information," Hartman countered as she used her card to open a doorway.

"Hartman," Rose growled as she tried to control her temper. "If a member of the royal family or the Prime Minister crash landed in a plane in a hostile country, what would you do?"

"We're not talking about me Rose," Hartman chided as she opened another door. "And these are aliens."

"Human emotions and thoughts aren't restricted to humans you know," Rose argued as she followed Hartman through the door and then stopped.

The large high space had a small shuttle like ship sitting in the middle. Burn marks covered the underside from its entry into the atmosphere and the outer shell was cracked in many places. Men and women in lab coats were crawling all over it with cameras, probes and other equipment. Others were already taking sections of controls, the engines and internal machinery out of the ship and loading them into small crates.

"Glorious isn't it," Hartman declared with a wide smile.

"I've seen better," Rose mocked with a shrug as she examined the ship. It was smaller that she had expected and only about eight feet high and twenty feet long making it one of the smaller ships she'd ever seen.

"Ah yes, the Tervtian ship that we were denied access to," Hartman noted with a distasteful tone. "The things we could have done with that technology."

"Hartman the danger with reverse engineering a ship that crashed is that it crashed," Rose reminded her with a sigh. "Something went wrong and the internal systems are fried, melted or vaporised." Rose shook her head. "I'm afraid to ask how many accidents you've had in your projects."

Hartman sighed softly but put the smile back on her face. "Rose," she pressed gently. "Why must you fight us like this?"

"Fight?" Rose asked. "I came here to deliver a warning," she reminded Hartman. "I'm trying to protect your people and keep Earth from ending up in a war."

Hartman was about to respond when one of the scientists in the ship gave a small cry of alarm. "Ms Hartman there is a beacon transmitting."

Turning her attention to the man, Hartman walked over in a few quick and long strides. "How strong is it?"

"Very," the man answered, gesturing towards the computer. "We only separated the signal from the other system alerts, otherwise we would have noticed it sooner."

"I told you," Rose quipped as she came up behind them. "Tell the Councillor that he's safe and work with him to contact his people. It will serve Earth in the long run."

"This doesn't prove that a ship is coming," Hartman snapped. "It just explains how you knew about this."

"How did you think I knew?" Rose asked with a questioning look.

"You have some kind of supercomputer," Hartman hissed with irritation on her features. "Unfortunately it is in the home of Sarah Jane Smith who has protected status by UNIT and the Crown."

Rose tried to keep a straight face, but the look of triumph that appeared on Hartman's face told her that she hadn't managed. Then the lights flickered slightly and one of the nearby computer screens flashed off and then back on.

"What was that?" Hartman asked turning to one of her aids.

"I don't know ma'am," the woman admitted as she reached for her earpiece. "Maintenance is checking the power grid and internal systems."

"Thank you, Rebecca," Hartman offered before turning back to Rose. "Well Miss Tyler, you can see that everything is under control and the tour is over." Hartman gestured towards the door. "I have a great deal of work to do, but the offer of joining Torchwood still stands."

"No thank you, Hartman," Rose replied as she glanced towards the ship again, trying to figure out a plan B since the diplomatic approach had failed.

Rebecca stepped forward and motioned for Rose to follow her. They were back at the doorway when it suddenly swung open and a middle-aged Indian man rushed past them.

"There's a ship coming into the solar system!" The man gasped as he reached Hartman. Rose stopped moving and turned to watch Hartman's expression.

"Do we know anything?" Hartman asked.

"Nothing yet," the man answered as he tried to catch his breath and gestured to the ship wreckage. "I did briefly pick up a signal between the crashed ship and the ship." The man took a long breath. "Ma'am it's huge! We don't have a good reading on it yet, but it is at least a three miles wide and we can't get a reading on the length yet."

"That would be the Serlan Class Battlecruiser," Rose announced as she crossed her arms. "I did try and warn you, Hartman. The Otharans are coming and according to the information I have on them they are most likely to do an extraction of the Councillor with automatons."

"This changes nothing," Hartman insisted with a harsh look at Rose. "They trespassed on our lands, we are well within our rights to seize them as illegals and take control over their ship."

"That's human law," Rose reminded her with an equal glare. "And you'll find a lot of aliens aren't going to care much about it. According to intergalactic law we barely exist, we're too primitive! An idea that you are reinforcing!"

"Rebecca," Hartman called shifting her eyes to the woman watching them. "Escort Miss Tyler out, take security with you and make sure that she leaves."

"Hartman!" Rose snapped even as a pair of armed men came over to her. "If the positions were reversed you'd do the same thing! Be reasonable about this before your people are killed." There was a flicker of something in Hartman's eyes and her facial muscles twitched slightly, but she said nothing and turned back towards the ship. "This won't end well for you," Rose promised darkly. "UNIT will detect that ship and open communications with them. Benton won't have much choice other than to leave Torchwood to attack by the Otharans."

"And I'm supposed to believe that you care?" Hartman asked as she turned back to Rose.

"I don't want to have people die," Rose answered honestly, willing Hartman to see how much she meant the words. "The Otharans aren't a hostile race, but you're not leaving them many options. Please contact them and tell them that the Councillor is safe, ask them for medical information so you can help him until they arrive and then hand him over. If you do that they may see you as helpful rather than hostile."

"If it's alien it's ours," Hartman repeated firmly. "This is the mission of Torchwood, Rose. I will not falter in it. I know my duty."

"So have a lot of other people who have died foolishly following orders and started wars across history," Rose reminded her with a shake of head. "Know when to yield. Don't let arrogance rule your decisions."

"I'd suggest the same thing to you," Hartman said turning to Rose. "You charge off into danger like you're invincible," Hartman scolded her. "You even came here tonight alone, so confident in your own abilities and righteousness." Hartman fixed her gaze on Rose. "Know when to yield."

They stared each other down and Rose wondered who would break first. Then a scientist suddenly swore across the room at one of the computers. Hartman turned to look over at him with an irritated look only to see all the monitors flash black. A split second later strange code began to fill the screens.

"Someone has taken over the system!" a person shouted. "Security reports that we have lost cameras and our files are being copies off site."

Hartman wheeled on Rose, "Is this you?"

"No," Rose answered as she rushed over to one of the computers to look at the code. "This looks earth based, but I'm not the one doing it."

"It has to be you!" Hartman insisted, stalking after her and glaring at Rose's back.

"Would I risk it while I was this close to your security personnel?!" Rose snapped. The ringing of her mobile drew her attention and she ignored Hartman to pull it out. Checking the caller ID, Rose lifted it to her ear. "Talk to me."

"Rose I have been monitoring Torchwood's internal system and I am afraid that another entity is taking over their security system," Spock reported.

"I noticed," Rose remarked, keeping an eye on Hartman's face. "Can you trace the interference?"

"I am attempting to do so now with K-9's assistance, but all commands and signals are being routed through a complex network of servers all across the globe. At this time I can only verify that it is not the Otharans, but terrestrial in origin." There was a moment of silence. "K-9 found something…. Black sun. I'm not sure what it means, but I'm trying to establish contact with the system."

"Black sun?" Rose repeated only to see Hartman's eyes widen. Rose turned her full attention to Hartman. "What is Black Sun?"

"We're not sure," Hartman admitted carefully as she looked at the computers. "We found the name when we investigated that attack on UNIT during the Tervtian Incident."

"That wasn't you?" Rose asked with wide eyes.

"No," Hartman insisted tensely. "You'll find that I don't order the murders of my countrymen."

Rose looked back at the computer screen and then around the room. "If you are telling the truth…."

Suddenly everything when pitch black as all lights and electronics in the room switched off. There was a startled silence in the room that was interrupted by the heavy locks on the door opening with a load metal click.

"The generators will be on in a moment," Hartman announced loudly to the room, her voice echoing slightly.

But nothing happened and Rose pulled out her torch. She brushed off Rebecca's hand and ignored the security troops that moved towards her. Using the light of her torch she checked the door and found that it was open.

"They've overridden the lock," Rose pointed out as she looked over towards Hartman, moving the torch light with her. She raised her mobile back to her ear. "Spock, can you take control of Torchwood from them?"

"Negative," Spock answered. "I have only just located the server where the virus and security override are coming from. K-9 is providing assistance in ensuring that this system does not affect my own."

"Focus on finding out what they are doing and who they are," Rose instructed.

"Rose, if these are the same people who set the bomb…"

"I'll be careful," Rose promised quickly. "Keep me updated as you can, but be careful and don't risk your own system." Rose quietly added, "And unleash Bad Wolf on both them and Torchwood's systems if you can't stop the transfer of information."

Rose put her mobile back in her pocket and turned to find Hartman giving orders to the scientists and the security guards. Hartman turned to say something to Rose when suddenly they heard the faint sound of gunshots followed by a high pitched whining sound. The floor shuddered beneath them, knocking Rose to her knees as Hartman gripped a desk.

"Security get down there!" Hartman shouted. "No one attacks us!" Hartman looked over at Rose with a dark look. "It seems that there is a third player in town."