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Chapter 32 – United Nations

Harriet stood next to Howie among their bodyguards in the hallway. The walls were white and gave the appearance that they were in a courthouse. Pete saw them as he walked up with the Doctor, Sam and Lewis. They all greeted one another.

Pete smiled at Howie, "Do you know what this loon is going to propose?"

Howie looked at his friend. "I felt the same way. But I think it's a hell of an idea. Come on, they are ready for us."

Harriet looked back at The Doctor. "Ready for this?"

He smiled as he held his arm out. "Allow me to escort you, Madam President."

Harriet smiled as she walked into the room on his arm. The room was round, with tiered seating. The nations' leaders were all sitting behind small flags showing where they were from. They all sat down as Harriet stood up to address them.

"This meeting is deemed classified and is not to be discussed outside of this room. Director Doctor Johnathon Smith from Torchwood has a proposal he wishes to address to all of you. Please hold your questions until he has finished."

Pete patted him on the back as The Doctor stood up, rebuttoned his jacket and walked to the podium. "Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for allowing me to be here today and speak to you on an important matter regarding the security of the planet Earth. I am Doctor Johnathon Smith, the Director of Torchwood, which all of you know is not just a research and development company based in London. It is a gateway that handles first contact with species wishing to visit our fine planet. Aliens without a home come to us for relocation assistance and new identities. This has been classified above top secret for years, but all of the world's leaders have always been aware of Torchwood's role in this matter. Every leader in this room has had to dial my number, or Director Pete Tyler's, at some point in their political career to address a problem with an alien. Since the Cyber Invasion, the world's perception of persons not of this world has changed. The fear has created a very dangerous environment, not only for citizens of this planet, but the refuges from other planets as well. Please keep this in mind as I explain my proposal."

"At this current moment, there are 54 different space ships and star liners currently parked on the dark side of the Earth's moon. Why? Because that's where we've always asked them to land. The moon rotates so slowly that one side of it is never visible from the Earth. Not even with the best satellites on this planet. You literally would have to fly a ship to the other side of the moon in order to see them there. But, that could be a problem too because other species flying by can see these ships sitting there. It can invite trouble for pirates who would like to take a ship. Causing that crew to become stranded here on Earth. Or a species that looks to cause trouble will see these ships and believe the Earth is ready for a higher form of war, and thus attack our planet even though we don't own one of these ships out there. In either case, it would become obvious to the people of Earth that we are not alone in this Universe, but also that we're hosting these unique individuals, and that all of the world's leaders know about it. I'm convinced that the population in general would become very frightened and their actions could result in bringing about an interstellar war. Fought right here. On Earth."

"All of you know what I'm talking about. The violence of persons who are attempting to purify the Earth from any extraterrestrials is all over the news everyday. It's become a security concern to each of your offices, as well to mine. Aliens who are currently residing here have made this planet their home, and I have no doubt that they would die defending their home and families just as strongly as anyone native to this planet would."

"We could, of course, tell the species to stop coming to the Earth. But, after all of these years, that will be met with much opposition. People's families now live here, and other species have put down roots for several generations. There is a more diplomatic solution that I have came to ask for today."

"I propose that we build a space dock under the surface of the moon. It will be hidden away from anyone who would be flying past the Earth or her moon. The construction of such a place is a major undertaking, and one that I do not feel is possible with the current technology present on Earth during this time. That is why I have negotiated the construction of such a place with a species not from Earth. They are called Baumeisters from the planet Tragypt. I've dealt with them in the past and trust they will do a quality job that will last for many centuries. They are experts in building space docks and the like."

"Please let me be clear. This space dock would benefit the people of Earth, but would not directly serve the people of Earth. NASA would not be informed of its presence, and it would be classified above top secret to everyone except the leaders of the Earth. The reason why is very simple. Earth simply is not ready for the technology that would exist there."

"I have a nearly five year old daughter. I also have an antique car. I could teach her to drive this car. Of course, I could. She's extremely clever and would probably pick it up very quickly. And she could drive all over. But, is she also ready for the responsibilities that come with knowing how to operate such a machine? Absolutely, not. The people of Earth are similar to her in a lot of ways regarding this advanced technology. I count myself in this profound statement when I say we all need to grow up a bit."

"The Baumeisters have quoted a price for this job. The moon is surrounded by a concrete-like substance called regolith. You are all familiar with that. Think about Neil Armstrong's footprint that still sits on the moon in all of its remarkable detail that he left over fifty years ago. This is a highly sought after material. The Baumeisters have agreed to build the space dock if they can have all of the regolith that they will have to remove to make way for the space dock's placement as payment. It's just that simple of a deal. The iron that would be needed will be taken from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. We would get a space dock, while they would get this substance that they need for another job millions of light years away."

"A space dock, hidden away, would also open up interstellar trade in the upcoming years. And also, allies, in the event of another attack by an outside force that is quite simply, past our level of training or weapons capabilities at this current time."

"I'll now open the floor to questions."

The room erupted. Pete Tyler sat back and crossed his arms. He leaned over and told Sam and Lewis, "That actually went a hell of a lot better than I thought!"

Sam smiled, "He makes a good point. Do you think they will agree?"

Pete rubbed his chin, "I'm not sure."

Harriet stood up, "Doctor Smith. Will this space dock's construction present any problems to the environment of Earth or the orbit of the moon?"

He pointed at her. "Very good question. No, it will not. As you all know, the moon directly affects the tides of the oceans on Earth. The Baumeisters' design for the space dock will not cause any problem with the environmental concerns here at home, or on the moon. Leaving it nearly as it is now. Just, with a space dock inside of it. They plan to only mine twenty miles or thirty-two kilometers across the surface of the moon, 800 meters tall, and 1 mile deep. That should be plenty big enough for five times the amount of ships we've ever had to park."

The Emperor of Japan asked, "Who will have control of this space dock?"

The Doctor smiled, "Very good question. It will be under the direct control of Torchwood. We've had to handle parking for decades. We're just going to put them in a better spot. Next question."

The Chinese asked, "A project of this size would cost how much in Earth money?"

The Doctor shook his head. "It would not be possible for Earth to do at this time. It would have to be handled by the Baumeisters. The price I've negotiated is simply waste from the construction. The concept of money is something unique here to Earth. Most of the universe prefers to handle deals as a barter to get something they need."

Howie asked, "So, to be clear. We would be getting something that is needed. They would be getting something they need. And we would be establishing a relationship with some alien race that is capable of building something of this magnitude if we ever feel the need again?"

"That's correct. They also build ships, military bases, and orbital platforms. None of which I've asked for, or believe is needed at this time."

Another question was presented by the President of New Germany, "Who will handle the maintenance of this dock? The expense to keep it running?"

"Torchwood would handle it. Money is a concept that is unique to Earth. If something needed repair, a deal would be reached with someone who was wishing to dock there. Simple as that."

The President of the USSR rubbed his beard, "I'm still in shock of how you have become the spokesperson for our entire planet. Who appointed you to go make such a deal?"

The Doctor nodded his head and held up his hand, "That is an excellent question. Thank you for asking that because it does need to be addressed. On New Year's Day 1942, President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill, Maxim Litvinov, of the USSR, and T. V. Soong, of China, signed a short document which later came to be known as the United Nations Declaration. On October 24, 1945, representatives from fifty nations met in San Francisco and the United Nations was officially chartered. On that day, there was a closed door meeting just for the few subjects that were classified. The matter of who would be a spokesperson for the planet in the event it was met with an extra terrestrial species was decided on that day to be Torchwood, based in London. Churchill knew that London would have to have a considerable amount of reconstruction done due to the London Blitz and it would be easy to hide the construction of a building that occupies so many stories underground as Torchwood does. The Nations Leaders knew that at some point, we would be dealing with more species from other places than they were in 1945, which was a surprising amount. Someone would have to be trained to deal with these different species, their customs, and their needs. And of course, the general population couldn't know about it. We were just not ready for such knowledge that we were not alone in the universe. I'm not convinced most of us are ready even now. All of us in this room know that to be the truth and it's been the truth for a very long time."

"As the Director of Torchwood, I'm speaking to these species on a daily basis. It's my job. I have complete authority in this matter to discuss any deal with an outside species as the representative to Earth, and have had this authority since the day United Nations was officially chartered. All fifty nations agreed to this then and Poland agreed a few days later due to the fact that their representative was ill. Torchwood has been handling negations for that long. When the Baumeisters' contacted me asking to mine the moon, I refused. But, then realized it could be a remarkable opportunity. I had the meeting with them to work out the details so that I could come present it all to you. I've told them that I need approval from you lot before anything can go forward. I'll now leave it to a vote."

The room erupted again as the world's leaders discussed and argued every angle. The sound of the screaming voices was extremely loud.

The Doctor then walked to sit down next to Pete. Pete smiled at him and shook his head in surprise. "Wow, son! That's all I can say. That was amazing! What do you think they will do?"

The Doctor looked around the room, "Hard to say. Looks like they are going to argue about it for a while. This is always the boring part."

Pete looked at him and asked, "I'm amazed. How many times have you done something like this?"

The Doctor shook his head, "I don't know. I've lost count. Seems like I'm always negotiating something."

The room continued to be loud.

The Doctor sighed, "I am looking forward to a drink after this."

Sam nodded his head. "I could go for that!"

Lewis smiled, "Me too. But, not too many. I have a date tonight."

The Doctor looked at Lewis. "What is your girlfriend's name?"

Lewis smiled, "I have no idea."

Sam rolled his eyes, "You didn't know about this? They can't speak each other's language. They have never spoken."

Pete and The Doctor laughed.

The Doctor asked, "What the hell, mate? How have you dated this long and not spoken to one another?"

Lewis blushed and rubbed his face. "Oh, shut it, Sam! I told you not to tell him! I'll never hear the end of this, now."

The Doctor laughed as he looked back at Pete. "How does that work?"

Pete laughed, "You've never dated someone you didn't speak their language?"

The Doctor looked shocked, "No. I can speak every language. Is this a thing? Really? So, you don't talk?"

Lewis was proper red now. "Oh, geez. I can't believe this. No, we don't. Well, she's said a few things, but I don't know what it is."

Sam winked at them, "Yeah, probably moaning and wanting him to get off of her hair."

Pete looked at Sam and smiled, "Or telling him she has an STD."

The Doctor laughed until tears formed in his eyes. "Oh, that's hilarious! I can't believe you. So, you just snog?"

Lewis rubbed his face. "Well, yeah. That and … other stuff. You're married. You know what we're doing!"

The Doctor raised his hands, "Hey, we're not talking about me, mate. Wow! How do you even arrange a date? How does this work?"

Lewis sighed, "I text her a time, and we meet at the bar."

Pete smiled at him, "And then?"

Lewis blushed, "And then we will go someplace. I think it's her place."

The Doctor covered his face and laughed hysterically. "I'm not believing this. Lance told me you had never been lucky with the ladies. Is this what you do?"

Lewis rolled his eyes. "Don't believe anything Lance tells you."

Sam nodded his head that it was. "Something similar to it. It's sad. I think he needs lessons or something."

The Doctor laughed with Pete and Sam. "Oh, this is brilliant! I can't believe what I'm hearing. Has she ever said anything to you that you can remember?"

Lewis thought for a few seconds. "She said something that sounded like….. well." He said the word.

The Doctor laughed hysterically. "That means 'slow down'."

Pete and Sam laughed hysterically.

Sam pointed at Lewis. "Nice one, mate!"

Pete nodded his head and gave Lewis a thumbs up, "Well done there, Ace!"

The Doctor laughed. "Give me your phone. Bring up her number."

Lewis looked surprised, "Why? What are you going to do?"

The Doctor was wiping the tears from his eyes. "I'm going to text and ask her name. I can speak German. Do you want to know that at least?"

Lewis looked at Pete and Sam. He pointed at Sam. "This is your damn fault!"

Sam held up his hands, "I'm not the one shagging someone he can't speak to. Summus would die if he knew."

The Doctor looked at them both. "Fuck! Summus doesn't know!?"

Lewis shook his head, "He would NOT approve. Not at all! Oh my!"

The Doctor tossed his head back, "Holy TARDIS of Gallifrey! This is the craziest shit I've ever heard! You've done this, Pete?"

Pete smiled, "Yeah! If the snogging and sex is good. What's there to talk about?"

The Doctor rubbed his face. "Oh wow! You?"

Pete pointed forcefully at the Doctor. "Do NOT tell Rose that!"

The Doctor texted the number as he told Pete. "I'll only agree not to tell her if you agree to something right here and now."

Pete rubbed his face. "My vote doesn't count here."

The Doctor shook his head as he sent the message. "Agree to be Director of Torchwood again. But, with me. We'll Co-Direct. Do it together. What do you think?"

Pete nodded his head. "I could do that. Sure."

The Doctor smiled, "Good, because I already had Thomas fill out the paperwork. It was made official yesterday. Welcome back."

Pete tossed his hands in the air. "The actual fuck? You did what?"

The Doctor smiled at him. "You can't say anything, Pete. You did the same thing to me! At least I'm staying to help. So, stop farting around and get your ass back to work!"

Pete looked shocked back at Sam. "Did you know about this?"

Sam laughed, "I love this assignment!"

Lewis phone received a message. The Doctor smiled, "Her name is Arla. Oh, that's pretty. I've told her your name is Idiot."

Lewis rubbed his face. "I wouldn't be surprised if you did. Really? What did you say?"

He looked at him and smiled, "I explained I was a friend of yours that spoke German. You told me that you are dating the most beautiful woman you've ever seen, but feel bad you can't ask her name or speak to her."

Lewis looked back at him. The phone received another message. The Doctor read it and smiled, "Oh wow. She says you are the most handsome man she's ever dated. She loves your tattoo. It's very British."

Lewis held out his hands, "It's not British! The hell?"

Pete explained, "It's similar to a British story."

Lewis rubbed his face and exclaimed something in Quauhtin, "I can't believe this."

The Doctor texted her back. Lewis jumped, "What are you saying to her now!?"

Sam and Pete were laughing, The Doctor turned his body to shield himself from Lewis. "I'm telling her you speak of her all of the time. You are really taken with her. You want to see her today."

Lewis rubbed his face. "This is hell. This assignment is shit. Summus can't be told this!"

The Doctor was clearly enjoying himself as he texted back. "Oh, don't worry, mate! I won't say anything to Summus."

"What the hell are you saying now?"

The Doctor smiled, "I'm telling her that I would like to meet her. With you, of course. Have a couple of drinks after this. I can translate for you two. I mean, if you can keep your hands off one another long enough to talk to one another."

Lewis' eyes got huge. "You didn't tell her that!" He grabbed his phone back from The Doctor's hand. The Doctor was laughing hysterically. Pete and Sam laughed as well.

Pete looked around the yelling in the room. "I'm glad this is going on to drown out this conversation."

Lewis looked at a message he got on his phone. He rubbed his face and handed it to The Doctor. "Here. What did she say?"

The Doctor looked at it. "She says, 'No deal. She wants to go to a hotel and shag'."

Sam smiled at him, "Lucky man, Lewis!"

Pete laughed at them.

"Really? Tell me. What did she say?" Lewis insisted.

The Doctor looked at him. "She said she would love to. We'll text her when we're done here and she'll meet us. Sam, Pete? Care to join us on a date with Lewis?"

Pete rubbed his hands together. "I'd love to!"

Sam smiled, "Oh, this will be awesome! This is the best assignment ever!"

Lewis pointed forcefully at Sam. "I'm going to kick your ass for this!"

Sam smiled, "Totally worth it! I'll remind you to do that!"

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