It takes several months for King Henry to begin setting up Torchwood, and by that time, we are on progress. The hybrids have been at Court for almost a year, and they are staying in London while the rest of us are on progress. It is one of those times I would prefer to have my own place so I can escape the drama of Court. "How much longer do we have to be at Court?" Mum asks.
"Until at least 1547," I tell her. We are riding in the countryside with the other maids-of-honour, heading towards our next palace. Most of the places we stay in don't have enough room for everyone, so those who are not as close to the King and Queen end up staying in local inns or in the village.
"1547?" Mummy asks. "Why didn't you tell me that before we travelled back in time? I would have mentally prepared myself!"
"Mentally?" Mum asks.
"Using the mind," Mummy explains.
"I wish I could understand you both sometimes. That way, I wouldn't have to ask you both to explain things. You must think I'm stupid." Mummy and I stare at Mum. "What?"
"You're starting to speak like us!" I say.
Mum smiles, and we continue riding.

Once we settled in and helped the Queen, King Henry calls the three of us to his privy chamber. "Ah, just the three women I was hoping to see. Mistress Emma, did you tell Mistress Sarah Jane and Mistress Ruby about the organisation I want to set up?"
"I did, yes. But you did not tell me a lot about it last time."
"I had a lot of ideas I wanted to work with." He is holding a lot of scrolls, and he rolls one of them out on a table, and the three of us join him. "One of the things I was struggling with was the name, but it came to me earlier. The house we are currently in is called Torchwood House, and I never heard of the name before."
"That is the name of an organisation in my time," I say, "could they be one and the same?" I look at Mummy, but she shrugs.
"It cannot be a coincidence that they will share the same name."
"But the Torchwood now and the Torchwood I know stand for different things. Torchwood London was about eradicating aliens, while Torchwood in Cardiff distanced themselves from that ideology."
"How do you know so much about Torchwood?"
"I visited them once when I was twelve, and I did work experience for them when I was fifteen—Torchwood Cardiff, that is, not Torchwood London. If the London base knew what I was, I don't think I would be here, Your Majesty."
"Then it is a good thing they never discovered you. I assume you are a hybrid as well."
"That's right, Your Majesty."
"Well, if you ever want a job at Torchwood, I will ensure there will always be one available for you along with any other human-alien hybrids you find."
"And humans that want to join. We cannot leave humans out, either."
"And humans," King Henry agrees. He looks over the plans again. "I still have a lot to plan before we get to that stage, so please excuse me if I am a bit behind."
"That is all right. You are a busy man." The King dismisses us, and we curtsey to him before returning to the Queen.

"What did the King want?" Catalina asks when the five of us are alone.
"He wants to set up an organisation, so human-alien hybrids can get jobs," Mum says, "but Emma isn't sure if it is the same Torchwood as the one in her time."
"I see. Well, all we can do is hope that it is."

Throughout the progress, we keep running into aliens. Some want our help to get home or to explain life on Earth to them, while others want to either destroy us or invade. If it's either of the last two, we get K-9 to help. "This is getting ridiculous!" King Henry exclaims when yet another Slitheen blows up in our faces. "You would think that the Slitheen will know to stop coming here!"
"They haven't learnt that by our time, Your Majesty," I say, "a group of Slitheen took over a school I went to and tried to switch off the sun!"
"Good grief, they will never stop."
"No, that family has a habit of coming to Earth to destroy us."
"When I finished creating Torchwood, I will have to make a rule about the Slitheen. No, it should be for the whole country. Everyone should know about the Slitheen and have the knowledge necessary to destroy them!"

Yes, I can certainly get used to this King Henry. However, I'm always living on the edge. Anything could set him off and send him down the path into tyranny, and I don't want to be the one who causes that. The only reason I will send him down that path is if I have no other choice. But I still have a few years before that happens. It's only 1511, and his reign of tyranny starts soon after he marries Anne Boleyn. Wait... I have only twenty-two years left! Most people will consider that a blessing. They have years to prepare themselves and ensure they are on King Henry's side, but that is where my problem is. I will never be on King Henry's side.

When we return to London several months later, King Henry throws himself into creating Torchwood. "We need a branch of Torchwood in each major city; London, York, Coventry, Reading. But more importantly, we need to include as many people as we can. While we want to keep Torchwood as an organisation that works for the crown, they also need to be independent. Each branch will have its own team that will work in that area, and the leader will report back to me." As King Henry talks, several men take down notes of what he is saying. Even the Queen's household is here, and most of the ladies share confused looks with one another. "We must have equality in employment at Torchwood. Women are just as important as men, and we need peaceful aliens and alien hybrids on our side."

The room falls silent. "Your Majesty," Cardinal Wolsey begins, "is that a wise idea? Women are not as intelligent as men, and they are more likely to make mistakes."
"Good men also make mistakes, my good Cardinal."
"That is right, Your Majesty. But if you let women join Torchwood, would we not be sending the wrong message?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"Women might see it as a sign that they can do what they want. They will start learning and begin thinking that they are superior to men and to God."
"Your Majesty," I stand up, and most of the people gasp and start whispering. "If I may say, all your subjects love you and will support you, and I am one of them. However, women have next to no chances of employment so they can help their families. Letting Torchwood open their doors to them will reduce crime in your kingdom, and it will help save lives."
"I am with Mistress Smith-White on this matter," King Henry says, "women must always have a place at Torchwood."
"All right, but why aliens and alien hybrids? All aliens are hostile, and human-alien hybrids do not exist."
"Mistress White is an alien, and she has been at Court for two years now. If she was hostile when she arrived, she is not now."
"I do have Sarah Jane and Emma to thank for that, though, Your Majesty," Mum says.
"Exactly. With the right support, almost anyone can switch sides and become loyal to humanity. And to prove you wrong again, Cardinal Wolsey, we have several human-Qetesh hybrids living at Greenwich. They are peaceful and are learning how they can exist side-by-side with us. Besides, Mistress Smith-White is also a hybrid, so you have evidence against your point staring you directly in the face."

Cardinal Wolsey starts spluttering. "Your Majesty—"
"Torchwood will be open to everyone who wants to join. Their wages will be paid by the crown, and if they need it, Torchwood will also organise accommodation for its employees." King Henry turns to his counsellors. "Make sure that this is done in every major town. We want to ensure our kingdom has the necessary protection against alien attacks."
"Yes, Your Majesty." The counsellors start collecting their papers and bowing to the King.

Did that just happen? Did King Henry set up Torchwood as a force for good?

"You did it!" Catalina says once the five of us are alone. "Torchwood is a force for good!"
"I only told King Henry that such an organisation was necessary, nothing more."
"But that was massive. Your idea set everything up!"
"But it was King Henry who helped us look for hybrids, as had so many other people."

I go to my room to get my laptop and set it up. I haven't called my friends yet, so I better do it now. I find Skype and select video call when I click on Mr Smith. "Connecting call," Mr Smith says. When I can see the screen, I see Henrat staring back.
"What are you doing there?" I snarl.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm destroying Bannerman Road. You, your family and your friends are trapped in the cellar with nowhere to run. There is nothing anyone can do to save you."
"What of Laura? My aunt?" Why the hell did I ask that? Laura already tried to kill me once, and I know she'll do it at least two more times!
"She betrayed me."
"She was working for you?"
"What year are you in?"
"1511."
"Cut the call."
"No!" I hear a beep, and I return to the main Skype page. "No, no, no!" I try and call Mr Smith again, but the call disconnects. No, this can't be how it ends! I start pacing before I remember that Mum, Mummy, and Maria are still with the queen. I run out of the room and back down the corridor. I must warn them of what will happen to us in several hundred years, but I stop dead. Catalina and Maria don't know that they will be alive in several centuries. But that does not matter. I must tell them what will happen. If I warn my friends, maybe we can start—no, I don't know what year it happens. The only thing I have to lead me is that it happens after June 2010, and we're at Bannerman Road. It still looks like the attic, so it can't be too far after 2010. I resume running and burst into the queen's apartments.
"My goodness!" One of the ladies cries, and I run into the bedchamber.

"Your Majesty!"
"My goodness, Mistress Emma, what is it? What is the matter?"
"We're in trouble in the future! I tried calling home to see how everyone is, but Henrat answered the call."
"Who's Henrat?"
"The little—" Mummy begins, then stops herself.
"And it seems like Aunt Laura will be working for him. Henrat said something about her betraying him...?"
"You mean my so-called "sister"?" Mum asks. "How do you know about her?"
"She tried to kill me once. She'll try to kill me again in 1537 and possibly in 2010. There might be more instances, but I don't know."
"I see. Maybe we should ask Torchwood to keep an eye out for her, just in case." We agree, and Mum leaves the room to pass the message on to the King.