"Good morning all – thank you for coming in." Kate outlined the situation, and issued her orders: "Osgood, make up a small team, and try to find out exactly how the comas have occurred. Colonel Shindi, I need you and Lieutenant Carter to gather those children and to isolate them – with as little force as possible"
"Yes, Ma'am." Answered three voices.
"Doctor, with me! We need to contact this Brain. Thank you all, good luck."
The team dispersed, and Kate went back to her office to confer with the Doctor.
On Planet Potentia
The Brain was rubbing his hands together: "It's working! It's really working. Mensophia ! I need you to add something to the plan.
"Sir?"
"When you manipulate the children's alpha waves – I want you to manipulate their telomeres too – to shorten them- give them …Oh, two months should do it."
"But … Those children are innocent! And they're part-Potentials now!"
"Exactly – "part" being the key word – they'll never be fully Potentials – we don't need half-breeds."
"Aren't you part Human yourself ?"
"Careful, Mensophia – I could also get rid of you – It wouldn't be a huge loss."
Mensophia glared with hatred at The Brain, but she tried to contain her anger. Now she'd realised just as far as he was prepared to go to gain his revenge, she was no longer on board – but she would be more useful alive than dead. So she held her tongue and tried to think of a plan.
The Brain looked at her thoughtfully: "You know, those kids are going to need closer supervision – that game of yours hasn't got enough range…. You're going to go there, on Earth, and do just that – supervise; and remember…This is not a get out of jail card – this is me delegating!"
Mensophia shuddered. She knew exactly what The Brain meant. All the Potentials were able to communicate by a microchip implanted in their bodies – The Brain would be able to give her orders. He was also the only one who could detonate any microchip, and she had a feeling he wouldn't hesitate to blow her to death if she crossed him…
Back in the Tower
Kate's radio crackled and Colonel Shindi came on the line: "Greyhound 3 to Greyhound 1, are you receiving ?
"Colonel Shindi – a problem?"
"Yes, Ma'am …Sort of. We've managed to gather up most of the kids, we've brought them to the Evinstone camp."
"That's good news, but from your tone, I gather that's not all?"
"No, Ma'am – most of them came willingly, but …. Some of them resisted and when the men tried to carry them, well …Three men down, Ma'am, I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too, Colonel – anything I can do?"
"I really think you need to see for yourself."
"Understood – I'm on my way."
"Thank you, Ma'am."
Kate went to her desk and retrieved the Sig Sauer she kept in the top drawer. She slipped her holster on and the gun in it. Then she grabbed her blazer, called Osgood and turned towards the Doctor: "Are you coming?"
"I'm not – needed elsewhere! Sorry, Kate!"
Kate glared at her, but the Doctor exited with a little hand wave.
Two hours later, Evinstone camp
When Kate and Osgood arrived at the camp, they found the UNIT troops encircling about twenty children from toddlers to tweens. They were playing calmly with various toys, or reading. Osgood opened her eyes wide: "We must be wrong – they can't be …"
"And yet we have civilians in comas, and three of our men down, Osgood. So yes, they can."
The circle opened to let Kate and Osgood in. An angelic looking toddler approached and smiled at the two women. Osgood smiled back and opened her arms.
"Osgood, NO!" The warning shout came simultaneously from Kate and the Colonel, but it came too late. Osgood already had bent down and taken the little blond girl in her arms. A minute later, she was on the floor, apparently comatose.
"No!" Kate's anguished cry echoed through the camp, and she rushed towards Osgood's body. The Colonel was not far behind her, and on Kate's orders, he gently gathered Osgood in his arms to take her out of the circle. He tried to argue but Kate refused: "Colonel – What I'm going to do now is something I'll never be able to forget. Something which will be on my conscience forever. I'll do it because I don't have a choice, but I can't order someone to shoot a child." She glanced at the little girl who was now coming towards her, with another child, a boy with a mop of ginger hair. She drew her weapon and aimed at the pair. In her head, the thoughts were running – what would her father have done? If he was in heaven somewhere, and she one day met him again, would he turn away in disgust? She reminded herself that these were not kids, these were aliens. But… She lowered her weapon, and raised it again. She wanted to just close her eyes and press on the trigger, but she had to focus on the target. She told herself she would count to ten and …