Series 1: Episode 9: The Empty Child Part 2:
"Ok, I know that the warship is beneath us but this is incredibly unnerving." She commented with a breathy laugh. She smiled in awe at the beauty of the technology and looked around, enjoying the height. The Captain laughed with her, bringing out his version of the sonic screwdriver and pointing it at the ship, making it visible. She tried to take it in, looking around and leaning over the side. "Oh my God, this is amazing." She breathed, her eyes wide, never having seen a proper spaceship from the side.
The TARDIS was better than a spaceship but she was always disguised. This warship actually looked like a warship and she admired it before coming back to the middle with the Captain who had been watching her. "Ok, so your warship is tethered up to Big Ben for some reason." She spoke, breathing heavily as she looked around again but staying still.
"First rule of active camouflage. Always park somewhere you'll remember." He advised and she nodded slowly, still taking in the sights.
"Ok, so your warship is tied to Big Ben, and I still can't tell what type it is because I am standing on top of it in the middle of an air raid in WW2." She spoke, her breathing slowing and returning to normal as her scarf trailed behind her, following loyally as she walked to the edge again.
"Do you always do this?" He asked with a smile, struggling with the cork.
"Do what?" She asked, turning around, her hair being whipped into her face as she moved it out of the way, looking at him.
"State every fact." He told her and she smiled, looking away.
"It's a habit. Helps to stimulate the mind and fast-forward acceptance." She told him, shouting behind her.
"Sounds like you've done this before." He commented back as she sucked in a breath at his words, trying to remind herself it was just an off-handed remark.
"Too many times." She inhaled to herself, whispering as she said it before turning around with new vigour and energy, walking up to the mysterious man. "So, what business are we discussing?" She asked, before letting out a yelp and dodging the cork flying off in her direction.
"Whoo!" The Captain shouted, holding up the champagne as the cork went flying down into the depths of beyond. He poured the liquid into the glasses, holding Valarie's hands as he did so to steady it. She handed him the other glass once he was done with her and took it, sipping as she looked over the view. The tingling intensified and she couldn't tell whether it was the champagne or the nanogenes.
"It's so beautiful. The scenery, but then the bombs come and destroy it. It just goes, tiny parts of it scattered everywhere, gone into the time vortex." She mused to herself, sipping gently. "And what you're left with. Some think its dirty, disgusting, yet the people down there. They rejoice, they celebrate because they made it through another day. They live another day. They grow closer because of it, they grow stronger." She spoke, holding the glass, letting it float.
"But some don't. Some grow suspicious, they grow weaker and broken because of the terror that takes them over. It's so complicated. Every single strand of this tangled mess of history can never be touched but seeing it, is so different from anything I could've imagined." She breathed, leaving the glass untouched in her hands. She snapped out of it, taking a long sip from her glass, calming herself down as she dulled her senses slightly. The glass was empty and she turned around for a refill to see the Captain standing beside her, watching and listening to her words with his own glass.
She smiled at him and he brought out the bottle from behind him, gesturing to her glass. She held it out gratefully, watching as the liquid refills. She brought the glass to her lips as she walked away from the edge, sitting down on the hull of the ship and resting. "Wait, the ship is visible, won't the planes try to bomb it?" She asked, looking around at the planes.
"No, we're completely safe don't worry." He assured, sitting down beside her.
"How do you know?" She asked, looking at him worriedly. Jack sighed, getting up and draping an arm around her. She looked at him weirdly as he moved her to the edge of the ship with his arm.
"Look around. What do you see?" He asked, making Valarie wonder what he was doing but obliging all the same.
"London, during the Blitz. An air raid. Planes everywhere with bombs. Explosions. Is there a point to this?" She asked, having listed everything.
"Look! All of this going on, every down in their shelters or hiding and you think someone is going to be able to look up clear enough to see two people standing on a spaceship tethered to Big Ben?" He asked, making her watch the scene carefully. He was right, they were quite high up, and no-one would be out to see it or care enough. They were safe, the bombs were lessening as well. The RAF, (Royal Air Force) had come and there were dogfights in the sky, explosions going on every second, yet there they were. Completely safe and out of the way. If anyone did see them, they would most likely ignore them, for their own safety.
"I guess you're right." She agreed, still looking around. She took a sip of her champagne and walked back, shrugging off Jack's arm in the process. He walked back with her and she sat down again.
"Also, if it helps it's only visible to us." He added, whispering to her. She gasped, turning to him and pushing him with her arm good-naturedly. Jack laughed, pretending to be moved and grunted, falling to the side. "Ow, that really hurt." He pretended, holding his arm, the ridiculousness of it all making Valarie laugh.
"Well you deserve it." She nodded, sipping her champagne again as she looked away. They stayed silent for a moment before she turned back. "Why are you doing this con man?" She asked, having adopted a nickname for him.
"What do you mean?" He asked, feigning innocence.
"I mean," she spoke, taking a breath and organising her thoughts. "You save me, albeit terrifying me in the process," She added as a side note, making him laugh. "Then you let me rest in your bed and fix my hands and a wound I haven't been able to for a long time with your nanogenes and then you bring me up here for champagne." She concluded, showing her gratitude in her own way. "What is the point?" She asked, gesturing to it all.
"Well, being an American volunteer, I help whenever I can." He joked, smiling.
"No, I mean why would you save me? And you're not an American volunteer con man." She finished, trying to get an answer. The whole experience had been so baffling and she wanted to know whether it was useless or not to become his friend if he was just using her.
"Now, I don't have a nickname for you. I don't even know your name." He realised, as Valarie's heart skipped a beat, hoping she wouldn't have to answer. "Laser beam. That sounds good." He thought up and Valarie sighed, glad she didn't say anything. "Look laser beam, you're a time agent and if you die, they'll blame me. They already blame me for a lot of things." He told her, disappointing her.
"So, you're saving me because of my job?" She asked, swallowing slightly. If he found out she wasn't a Time Agent would he still save her if she needed it? "Wait, what do they blame you for?" She asked, moving on.
"A lot. Let's just leave it there." He joked, hoping to move on from the entire conversation topic.
"So, you're a freelancer?" She asked, the word coming to her.
"Hmm, some can call it that." He allowed, thinking of the right word. Valarie sipped again, trying to hide a smirk before getting up.
"You know, it's getting late, I really should be getting back." She excused, moving away.
"We're discussing business." He spoke, staying down.
"You call this business?" She asked, gesturing to the champagne glass in her hand.
"I try never to discuss business with a clear head." He moralised. Valarie put down the glass next to the bottle before looking around as he got up with a last sip. "Are you travelling alone? Are you authorised to negotiate with me?" He asked, getting into real business mode.
"What is the topic of negotiation?" She asked, trying to size herself up, cursing her height.
"I have something for the Time Agency. Something they'd like to buy. Are you empowered to make payment?" He asked, putting a hand in front of her, all trace of the earlier Jack she'd known, gone. It was like he'd changed completely at the mention of business.
"Well, yes I am." She told him, wanting to be in control for once before she remembered the Doctor and Rose. "But I should put this negotiation in front of my… companions." She used the term, not knowing how else to phrase it.
"Companions?" He asked incredulously.
"Yes, if this negotiation is finally happening we should get back to him and we can work together." She spoke, finishing the visit as she hoped to go.
"Him?" He asked, making her roll her eyes.
"Do you have the time?" She asked, making him in turn roll his eyes. He took out his version of the sonic screwdriver and pointed it towards Big Ben, making it flash and chime with the time saying it was 9:30. She looked towards it, in awe of the glow. "Ok con man that was clever." She commended, using her nickname.
"So, laser beam, when you say your companions, just how disappointed should I be?" He asked, placing one hand on her waist and moving forwards to take her hand.
"Ok, we're standing in mid-air, on what looks like a Chula warship but isn't, in the middle of an air raid in WW2." She stated the facts again as Jack took her hands, lifting them up as he nodded along, letting out the occasional hum of approval. "Do you really think now is a good idea to be 'negotiating'?" She asked, watching with wide eyes as he got closer.
"Perhaps not." He considered, dropping her hand and moving away. Valarie let out a sigh of relief, enjoying the wind that blew her hair out of her face again, closing her eyes as Jack turned away.
"Thank you." She breathed, glad to be able to feel the wind again.
"Do you like Glenn Miller?" He asked, turning back around again sharply. She was taken aback for a moment, dumbfounded as he pressed his sonic screwdriver and 'Moonlight Serenade' by Glenn Miller and his orchestra came on in the background from somewhere she couldn't identify. He walked closer with his arms outstretched, taking her hand and placing a secure arm on her waist. She took his shoulder and placed her hand in his, going along with it. She mentally wondered what was happening and tried not to think of how nice it was.
"It's 1941, height of the London Blitz, height of the German bombing campaign." He told her, finally revealing where she was. She swallowed the information with a pinch of salt, wondering how she'd find the Doctor. "And something else has fallen on London – a fully equipped Chula warship, the last one in existence, armed to the teeth." She sucked in a breath at this, knowing how dangerous they could be but also because of her excitement at hopefully finally getting to see a proper Chula warship without all of the doubt of what model it was and what species made it.
She had thought Jack's ship was a Chula warship but she guessed she had been wrong. "You'd know, being the expert." He commended, making her smile a bit as she wondered where she'd find the Doctor and the warship. "And I know where it is, because I parked it." He revealed, making her close her eyes in annoyance as she let out a laugh, mainly annoyed at herself for not seeing the obvious. Of course, he was a con man, it was even her nickname for it and she hadn't seen it coming.
"Of course." She sighed, putting her head on Jack's shoulder, mentally berating herself as they swayed to the music, her scarf trailing. Her senses weren't as dull as she hadn't drunk so much but she was still not as on edge as she should've been she thought, berating herself for that as well.
"If the agency can name the right price, I can get it for you." He negotiated, making Valarie grit her teeth, wondering what to do for this Time Agency or just go for the Doctor and let him deal with it. "But in two hours, a German bomb is going to fall on it and destroy it forever." He publicised, as Valarie pulled back to see his face as he looked into her eyes. She wondered if he was lying or not, the con man he was. "That's your deadline. That's the deal." He emphasised, finishing his bargain. "Now, shall we discuss payment?" He asked, thinking he'd won.
"You know what I think, con man?" She asked, looking up at him with tired eyes. She'd seen too many of his type trading with Van Statten and quite frankly, she'd had enough of it.
"What?" He asked, obviously not considering she might argue.
"I think you need to take me to my companion because honestly, you're not the expert in bargaining are you?" She asked, hoping to put him down.
"Two hours, the bomb falls. There'll be nothing left but dust and a crater." He conditioned.
"Hmm, promises, promises." She murmured, knowing if it was destroyed then it would be better but she left him hanging, knowing she had to get back to Rose and then she'd be able to say something.
"Are you listening to any of this?" He asked, making her sniff with laughter, trying not to give anything away.
"You used to be a Time Agent didn't you? Now you're a freelancer." She deduced, looking up at his eyes for a reaction as they stilled the swaying.
"That's a little harsh, I like to think of myself as a thief." He smiled, pulling her close, pressed against his body. She looked up at him and the sudden change as his hand curled around her waist, keeping her there. She didn't know if it was his hand or not but that spot tingled intensely as she glanced behind him. Then the nanogenes finished, moving out of the newly repaired wound and doing a round around her head, the lights emphasising her beauty. Jack watched with a smile as she noticed the lights. She moved away slightly, looking around with awe.
"Any reason for that?" She asked distractedly, not expecting an answer, only receiving a charming smile.
"So, this companion of yours. Does he handle the business?" He asked, incredibly close. She only noticed when she moved her head back down to the right level and seeing his eyes close up.
"Well, not really. I am the main negotiator but protocol insists I have them there. So, for fear of losing my job, I should really get back." She told him, wanting to be the one who knew something for once, even if she was making it all up anyway.
"That eager to get away from me are you?" He teased.
"Yeah, well. Don't want to spend too long up here. There's a Chula warship down there somewhere!" She smiled, getting excited again.
"Well maybe we should go find him." He agreed, seeming a little put out by her rejection.
"And how are you going to do that?" She asked, wanting to see his other technology. From she'd seen already, he had stolen a lot of high class stuff, the warship with the remote control, the screwdriver. All of it was very fancy and stuff she didn't expect an ex Time Agent to have. Unless he stole it. Which wasn't too hard to believe.
"Easy - I'll do a scan for alien tech." He resolved, moving away and pulling out his scanner. The nanogenes dispersed, leaving the Big Ben as the only source of light, making Valarie sigh as she watched them go. She saw Jack and immediately thought of Rose and her Spock. It made her laugh as she thought about it but concealed it, looking away as he worked and whispered to herself.
"Rose would love this." As she giggled slightly, looking out at the place she was going to brave to find the Doctor. She bit her lip, smiling as she walked back down into the spaceship, waiting for Jack. They got to the Albion Hospital where apparently, the Doctor was and entered, leaving the spaceship behind. They walked the halls, both calling out. "Hello? Hello?" Valarie shouted, hoping for some reply.
"Hello!" Jack shouted alongside her. Then he put an arm out in front of her, stopping her. "Wait, what's your companion's names?" He asked and Valarie bit her lip to stop herself from smiling, pretending she was thinking.
"Spock. Spock and T'pring." She spoke, thinking of the Doctor and Rose.
"Right, are they foreign?" He asked, digesting the variety of the name.
"Yep, picked them up from a different planet. I don't know much about them, they just sort of crashed into my life." Valarie lied, trying not to divert from the truth too much.
"Ok. Hello!" He shouted again as Valarie let out a breath behind him, smiling as she tried not to laugh.
"But after you meet T'pring, you have to call her Rose. It's courtesy." She added as Jack nodded, a little confused but going with it.
"Valarie!" Rose shouted down the hallway, pulling the Doctor with her. Jack walked down the hallway, moving towards the Doctor.
"Good evening. Hope we're not interrupting. Jack Harkness, I've been hearing all about you two on the way over." He introduced, shaking his hand. Valarie interrupted, hoping Jack hadn't heard Rose shout her name. She talked to both Rose and the Doctor who were shaking hands with Jack.
"He knows. He figured it out. About us being Time Agents." Valarie hinted as the Doctor nodded and so did Rose, not being able to resist a quick hug to check she was alright. Jack raised an eyebrow at this and she swatted him away behind Rose's back.
"And it's a real pleasure to meet you Mr Spock. Miss T'pring." He nodded, slapping the Doctor on the back and nodding to Rose who turned to you with an accusing glare after Jack had taken off down the hallway. Once he had gone through the doors, Valarie laughed, all of the suppressed laughter bursting out as she kept laughing, seeing Rose's face and laughing even more.
"Mr Spock?" The Doctor asked.
"T'pring?" Rose asked and Valarie straightened up, still a ghost of a smile on her face.
"Well, he doesn't know Star Trek so I thought why not. You don't have a name so I couldn't think of anything. Don't you ever get tired of Doctor?" She asked, turning to the aforementioned man.
"Nine centuries in, I'm coping. Where have you been? It's the middle of an air raid. It's not a good time for a stroll." He spoke, gesturing to the doors Jack had just walked through.
"Didn't Rose tell you?" She asked, looking to the 19 year old.
"I did! I told you what happened and he said, "She'll be fine. She's just taking in the sights."" Rose mimicked, her anger propelling her. Valarie laughed and the Doctor had the tact to look sheepish.
"She was fine, she got saved by that man! And then they obviously had a good time together, staying out that long." The Doctor smiled, making Valarie gasp, slapping his arm. "Ow!" He shouted, holding it and Valarie's satisfied smirk graced her features.
"Actually he's got a point, what happened between you and that guy? Sounds like you did alright with knights in shining armour." Rose smiled, nudging Valarie slightly, making her blush. "Oh look, she's blushing!" Rose teased, pointing at her face.
"Shut up, it's not like that." Valarie pushed her away, walking forward. "He's a con man." She revealed, making Rose raise a brow and fan her face, blowing hair out of her face as she walked and the Doctor frown. "He's got a Chula warship, he thinks that we are representing the Time Agency and we'll make an offer to buy it off him but I don't think he has one. Con man." Valarie explained, watching the Doctor seem a little soothed at her explanation. He didn't like the notion of a Chula warship in 1941 either.
"Fully equipped?" He asked and Valarie nodded as Rose tried to keep up. "That's bad." He commented.
"Sorry, what's a Chula warship?" She asked, looking at the two.
"It's hard to explain right now." Valarie dismissed. "It's dangerous that's all you need to know. And it shouldn't be in the hands of someone like the Captain." She finished, going through the double doors after Jack who had been examining the spaceship and all 3 of them assumed the crossed arm pose.
"This just isn't possible. How did this happen?" He asked, moving frantically from patient to patient.
"What kind of Chula ship landed here?" The Doctor asked, watching him.
"What?" He asked, barely listening as he moved to another patient.
"He said it was a warship. Deluxe model." Valarie spoke up for him, lying about the last part to see if he would admit to the smaller crime but he didn't. He was cleverer than that. "He stole it, parked it somewhere. Somewhere a bomb's going to fall on it. Unless we make him an offer." Valarie repeated, pretending it was the first time she'd told him.
"What kind of warship?" The Doctor asked again, pressing him for an answer.
"Does it matter? It's got nothing to do with this!" Jack asked trying to dismiss the subject.
"This started at the bomb sight. It's got everything to do with it." The Doctor spoke, his voice getting slowly louder and barely controlled, his anger obvious. "What kind of warship?" He spoke louder pressurising him into saying.
"An ambulance!" Jack burst out. He moved forwards, fiddling with his watch. "Look, that's what you chased through the time vortex. Its space junk, I wanted to kid you it was valuable." He revealed, letting the con go as he fiddled with his watch again, letting the hologram disperse.
"I didn't see the cylinder shape before." Valarie whispered, remembering her lessons with the Doctor. "Guess I was right." She commented louder, walking forwards.
"You knew?" He asked, looking at her. "How?"
"Easily." She replied, not wanting to divulge further. Jack sighed before moving on.
"It's empty I made sure of it. Nothing but a shell." He assured them. "I threw it at you, saw your time travel vehicle – love the retro look by the way – nice panels." He appealed to the Doctor who smiled slightly, nodding. "Threw you the bait-" He started again.
"Bait?" Rose questioned.
"He wanted to try and sell it to us. Tell us it was worth something, get some money and then destroy it with the bomb before we could collect and ask for our receipts." Valarie cut it, looking at Jack with a venomous look. He cast his eyes down, ashamed.
"You said it was a warship." Rose clarified, looking at him.
"They have ambulances in wars." He spoke with a baby voice, patronising her. "It's a con, I was conning you, that's what I am I'm a con man!" He shouted as Valarie moved up to him.
"I was right about that too huh?" She asked, betrayal in her eyes.
"Yes, yes, you were right about everything! Revel in your glory!" He shouted, disgruntled at losing a potential profit.
"This isn't glory. This is dirt." Valarie spat back, moving away back to Rose who put a supportive arm around her friend. Valarie couldn't deny how much it hurt to have your saviour and potential friend be so rude but she had to keep a stern face. She couldn't let him see how much it hurt her.
"Well I thought you were Time Agents. You're not are you?" He asked, throwing his hands in the air.
"Just a couple more freelancers." Valarie replied, referring to their earlier conversation. Jack just laughed.
"Oh, should've known." He berated himself. "The way you guys are blending in with the local colour." He spoke, gesturing to their clothes. "I mean, Flag Girl was bad enough but U-Boat Captain?" He asked incredulously, holding his hand up as Valarie stood in front of him defensively.
"Oi! You will not insult my friends like that, you faker. You tried to con me, it didn't work. Revel in your almost victory and leave us alone. Ok?" She hissed in his face, turning her back, not seeing Jack's face flicker with distraught before residing in a mask. He had avoided saying anything about her, but insulting her friends was enough.
"Anyway, whatever's happening here has got nothing to do with that ship!" He shouted, wanting his slate clean. Valarie still hadn't turned around from him and Rose had gone over to her, both conversing quietly.
"You alright Valarie?" Rose asked quietly, soothing her by putting an arm around her shoulder.
Yeah, just. Betrayed." Valarie managed to get out. "I just thought that he was good. That knights in shining armour do exist and that maybe I would find one of my own. Not him but just. In my own time." Valarie tried to explain but she didn't have to. Rose understood immediately and pulled her into a quick side hug, not wanting to let Jack see and think he had done some damage. "I really began to believe again." She breathed before letting it go, sucking in a breath and straightening up.
"You should still believe, love might happen." Rose tried, not wanting to let this go. She saw some real progression and she didn't want Valarie to go back to the cynic she was before.
"Yeah well, if I ever find it, I'll be sure to give you a call." Valarie smiled, going back into soldier mode.
"What is happening here Doctor?" Rose asked, re-joining the conversation as Valarie inspected the patients.
"Human DNA is being rewritten. By an idiot." He revealed as Valarie looked over.
"What do you mean?" Rose asked, not understanding.
"I don't know, some kind of virus converting humans into these things. But why?" He asked, looking around in horror. "What's the point?" He asked, watching the prone figures.
"Doctor, are you sure they're still alive?" Valarie asked as she leant over one. Before the Doctor could reply, the prone figures got up, the upper half of their bodies bending like robots to get up.
"I guess that answers that question." Jack replied as she glared at him.
"Doctor what's happening? Rose asked.
"I don't know." The Doctor replied. "Don't let them touch you." He told them over the loud noise of the people calling for their mummies.
"What happens if they touch us?" Rose asked, behind the Doctor.
"You're looking at it. Get back!" The Doctor shouted to Valarie who ran over to the trio, making it a quartet and they all moved back slowly into the wall.
"Mummy? Mummy? Mummy?" The same word sounded over and over like a church bell tolling as they moved away. The word was echoed by everyone in the room apart from the 4 as they felt the wall behind them, its cold unfeeling cement unwilling to give way as they tapped on it, the gentle rapping slowly becoming faster and more frantic as they pressed to get out. "Mummy? Mummy?"
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