I'm not afraid of anything even time
"I have some things I need cleared up," Rose says, switching on the living room lamp.
The Doctor looks up from his laptop, blinking in the sudden light. "Are you up already?"
"Couldn't sleep." Rose sits down on the couch beside him, drawing her legs up underneath her.
"Why not?" He sets the laptop aside and gives her his full attention.
"Isn't it obvious?"
He sighs. "Rose. We've gone over this. What's got you so worried?"
It's only 5:16 in the morning. Beyond the windows of the flat, the sky is still dark. Rose draws a nearby blanket around her shoulders, trying to stay warm. "It's all got me worried," she says bluntly. "I don't think this is such a good plan."
He actually looks hurt by this. "It's a brilliant plan, Rose. Sam said so. Your father said so."
"Dad did not say it was brilliant."
"No," he admits. "But he said it might actually work, which is almost the same thing as brilliant." He tries out a smile on her, a smile that might have worked under other circumstances.
She stares at him steadily, and he finally leans back against the couch. "All right, then. Let me have it."
"How do we know whoever is behind Sam's accidents will show up?" Rose asks instantly. "How do we know that all of his employees will return to work? What if no one is willing to trust him? What if something goes wrong on our end?" She's getting warm just thinking about all the things that could go wrong.
"Rose." He reaches over and shoves aside the blanket that she's dragged from her shoulders. "We can make this work. That's what today is all about."
She doesn't answer.
"We've been through a lot worse than this," he says. "Why is this so different?"
She shrugs, taking his open arms as an invitation to move into them. "I don't know. It's just so big. I don't think we've ever done such a large operation before."
"Well, luckily, I'm here." He kisses the top of her head. "Nothing can go wrong with me around! Let's see if the paper's here. Maybe Janet has some words of advice for us."
"If she does, she could just tell us in person," Rose says in amusement.
"Oh, that's no fun." He brings the newspaper into the flat and shakes it open with a flourish. "Here we go." He turns to the horoscopes and stills.
"What's it say?" Rose asks, leaning against his arm to see.
"Be careful."
They exchange an uneasy look.
oOoOo
That morning, Rose signs off on her current duties at Torchwood. Mission reports all current, emails all answered. Papers all filed. She surveys her desk with satisfaction. It hasn't been so clean in ages.
"It's nice to be efficient, isn't it?" Jake asks from the doorway.
Rose smiles at him. "It is! Something I should have done a long time ago."
"Well, don't worry. We'll have paperwork again in no time, I bet."
"We will, won't we? We didn't have so much to deal with before, did we? When we were first starting out here."
Jake nods. "Things were easier when we had Cybermen to deal with. Ready?"
Rose shuts down her computer. "Ready."
The main Torchwood conference room is full of people. The Doctor is at the front of the room, his laptop ready with a presentation. Simon stands beside him, shuffling through some papers. Riley and Ian are there, sitting at the table. Other Torchwood personnel are also present, ready to find out what's so important that they've been removed from their current duties.
As she stands there Rose makes a mental note of the people. Jackson and Marshall, from one of the other field teams, a few office drones from various paper-pushing departments, Travis from security - Rose's mental note-taking stops abruptly as she sees Maria from personnel. She's sitting with her back to the wall of windows, knitting what appears to be a large blue afghan. Maria started to knit in Anna's class, the same time as Rose.
"Who are you glaring at like that?" Jake asks in her ear.
"No one," she says hastily.
Rose walks in and has to sidle past people standing against the wall. The seats at the table are all taken. She bumps into someone and starts to apologize when she sees that it's her dad.
"Good morning," she says. "You here, too?"
"Wouldn't miss it," he says ruefully. "I'm starting to have second thoughts, though."
"If anyone can pull it off, the Doctor can," Jake says.
"I know," Pete responds. "I know."
"Rose, you're here." The Doctor sounds delighted by this. "Come on in. Jake, you're here, too. Good. Is everyone else here?" he asks the room at large.
"We're all here," Simon answers. "Who else are you expecting?"
The Doctor glances around the room. "I think you're all here. If not, well, we'll fill them in later. Okay!" He smiles at them all impartially. "Welcome. Thanks for taking time away from your busy work schedules."
This comment makes several people laugh out loud. Only the sudden realization that Pete Tyler is in the same room with them keeps the laughter from getting out of hand.
The Doctor notices Pete in the back. "Pete, you want to have a seat up here?"
Several people start to stand as he asks the question. Pete shakes his head.
"You're all fine. Carry on."
The Doctor is prepared and ready. "I suppose you're wondering why you're here today," he begins.
Someone groans, and he sends a stern frown in the general direction. "As I was saying. We have a special undercover operation to set up. It's more involved and complex than we're used to. We're going to need all of you here today to make sure it runs smoothly."
"Are you going to tell us what it is?" Simon asks. "Since we're here."
The Doctor nods briskly. "Rose and I have been investigating a movie producer for some time now. He went missing, along with many of his employees. We were given reason to believe that he was an alien."
"What reason?" Riley asks. She's taking notes on a pad of paper, and the Doctor is visibly annoyed to be cut short so soon into what is clearly going to be an impressive lecture.
"What?"
"What reason?" Riley asks him, pen in the air. "Were you given?"
"We were told that he's an alien," the Doctor says testily.
"Who told you?"
"He did."
"I thought he was missing?"
"He came back," the Doctor says patiently. "Riley, do you mind?"
"Go ahead."
"Right. Anyway. As I was saying. I became suspicious of this producer - we'll call him Sam - when I noticed that the science-fiction movies he was involved in, either as a producer or a director, were amazingly detailed and accurate. As circumstances turned out, we were able to verify that he was indeed an alien."
"Wait, I'm sorry." One of the office drones raises an hand. Rose doesn't know who he is, unusual for her. "How do you know that the science-fiction movies he made were detailed and accurate?"
The Doctor stares at him, caught off-guard. It is, after all, common knowledge that he is himself an alien. Well, half-alien.
"There were details that were historically correct, even though they hadn't occurred yet."
"How could they be correct if they hadn't occurred yet?"
"I'm sorry," the Doctor says politely. "Who are you?"
"Mark. From Accounting."
The Doctor consults a sheet of paper and frowns. "Mark. Right. Well, I need you Mark, so you're going to have just to accept what I say as fact. I have a more thorough knowledge of aliens than anyone else here, and that includes aliens in the past, present and future. Any other questions?"
Mark from Accounting looks confused. Ian leans across the table.
"How long have you worked here, mate?"
"This is my first week."
"I'll explain it later," Ian tells him, wondering just what the Doctor needs an accountant for.
The Doctor has paused, waiting for other comments. None are coming, though the room's occupants are clearly paying attention.
"He is from a planet called Nocklyn, one galaxy over from our own." The Doctor hits a key on his laptop, and a display of the next galaxy appears on the presentation screen. "That's the planet, that little blob of green. He was recruited by the Time Agency as a youth, and has been working for them ever since."
"Time Agency?" someone asks.
"Yes. The Time Agency was formed in the fifty-first century-" The Doctor pauses. "Well, in my last universe, it was formed in the fifty-first century. I'm not certain when it was formed here. Its agents travel through time, performing certain tasks. I can't guarantee that it is a benign agency, in and of itself, but the agents do the work they're assigned."
Rose happens to be looking in the general direction of Mark from Accounting. "His last universe?" Mark from Accounting whispers.
"I'll explain later," Ian assures him.
Mark from Accounting does not look reassured at all. He may in fact be regretting his recent career choices.
"How can they travel through time?" Jackson asks.
"They use something called a vortex manipulator," the Doctor explains. "Don't worry, that's not something you need to know. What you do need to know is that this man has been working for the Time Agency. Using the knowledge he's gained throughout the years on his missions, he took the opportunity to write a screenplay years ago while he was here on Earth. It sold, was made into a movie, and he's been making movies ever since."
"Who is he?"
"His name is Sam Lively. He makes science fiction films, for the most part. Any of you heard of him?"
A murmur runs around the table. It's a name most of the people are familiar with.
"Didn't he make Terror Beneath the Center of the Earth?" Riley asks.
The Doctor stares at her, never having suspected she had an interest in sci-fi movies. "Yes, he did."
"He won a Spock for that one," Jake says solemnly.
"Yeah, he did, he - hang on." The Doctor turns to Rose. She smiles at him.
He's not going to ask what he so obviously wants to. He settles for fixing her with a stern glare, which she responds to with a wink. He can suspect that she's put their friends up to it, but she will never admit to it.
"Hang on," Jackson says. "He's an alien?"
"Yep."
"Then his movies are all true? Even the one about those radioactive spiders that can kill you with sound waves?"
"Venusian spiders," the Doctor elaborates. "That's not exactly how they kill, but it's close enough."
"Disgusting," Maria from personnel says.
"Well, even Venusian spiders have to eat," the Doctor says fairly. "Now. Any other questions? No? Good. Now you all have a point of reference to refer to. Sam Lively settled on Earth, in this time and place, and continued to make movies. He brought friends and family over - many of them work with him."
"There are aliens living here, in London?" Ian says in surprise. "Right here?"
"They live quietly," Rose says quickly, and all heads turn to look at her. "Their goal is to have a nice life, not to conquer us or anything."
Ian, as well as a few others, looks unconvinced. The Doctor continues.
"People on his home planet became aware of his movie making. They became...concerned that he could be revealed to be an alien - the things that happen in his movies are all accurate, even though some of them have not happened in real time yet. The ruling body on his home planet requested that he cease making movies. He didn't. There have been several threats on his life. In his most recent mission for the Time Agency, we suspect that someone tampered with his vortex manipulator to make him arrive at the entirely wrong time."
"I thought he was making movies," someone protests. "He's a time agent as well?"
"Pay attention. He continues to work for the agency," the Doctor admits. "During his absence, which lasted weeks instead of the intended hours, his fellow aliens became nervous and disappeared. We were contacted by a friend of his, who was concerned that he had been harmed in some way."
"The main thrust of all this," Pete says, walking around to the front of the room, "is that we've agreed to help Mr. Lively. In exchange for our services while they film their movie, we gain valuable information about alien life forms out there. We will capture whoever is attempting to harm him and interrogate them."
"To what end?" Travis from security asks.
"If they're willing to harm someone living on Earth from their own planet, they may be willing harm us. Torchwood is going to stop that from happening." Pete pauses and looks around the room. "I've given the Doctor permission to lead this mission, unusual as it may be. He's chosen each of you for a specific reason. If you want to back out, now is the time."
No one offers to back out.
The Doctor grins. "Excellent. "Let's talk about carpooling."
oOoOo
"All right," Sam says, standing at the front of the studio's conference room. "Are we all here?"
"We're all here," Clive answers.
Sam shoots him a look. He's not happy with how Clive - his partner - handled his absence. Instead of rallying the troops, assuring them that everything would be fine, Clive ran like a coward, thereby allowing everyone else to run and hide as well. If it hadn't been for Janet asking the Doctor and Rose Tyler for help, Sam would have returned to an empty studio and looming bankruptcy.
Brushing away thoughts of Clive - he'll deal with him later - he looks at each of the people seated at his mahogany conference table. Friends and relatives, each one. Dependent on him for jobs and safety and income. He's dependent on them for reliable labor.
"We need to finish the movie," he says. "I can't hold off Mason Tate forever. If we don't compete this deal we'll be broke."
"So what's the problem?" his second cousin Anne asks. "We can make the movie. We have a script and a cast."
"The problem is that someone is still trying to get rid of me, for reasons that are still unclear."
"I thought we'd taken care of that," she says in annoyance. "How can we work if we're all waiting to see who disappears next?"
"Annie, I've told you, I didn't disappear. I left and was not able to return in time. Now. There is one...small item that does mean we'll need to change how we do things. Just for this current project."
The looks turned upon him are suspicious.
"There was a threat sent here this morning," Sam admits.
The fallout is just what he expected. Everyone starts talking at once.
"Calm down! You all know the risks! The council isn't happy with me. I can't believe that they would resort to threats and violence, though. Right now I have to assume this is something else."
"How will we know for sure?" Doris from costuming demands. Another cousin.
"We won't. Not yet. That's why we have to go forth."
"Is it safe?" Curtis asks worriedly. Mother's sister-in-law's nephew by marriage, and a right pain. "If threats have been made..."
"I have that under control," Sam reassures the room. "Torchwood will be helping us."
The uproar is all that he could have hoped for.
"They'll attack us!"
"We'll be deported!"
"We'll be killed for study! Sam, you can't be serious!"
"I am serious! They have the resources to help uncover who's behind this."
"And once they uncover who's behind this they'll lock them up along with us!" Anne snaps.
Sam keeps his temper with an effort. It is not acceptable to yell at females of your own family, but he'll be making an exception very soon if these people don't calm down.
"I have friends there," he says. "I trust them."
"Who?" Doris asks. Sam is reminded, again, that while he may be vital and productive and successful, Doris is older than he is and still prone to thinking of him as an infant with a runny nose and sagging nappy.
"He's called John Smith. He's a scientist. And he's with Rose Tyler. She-"
A young woman seated nearby draws in her breath with an audible gasp. "Rose Tyler? The Rose Tyler?"
"Yes, Fiona, Rose Tyler," Sam says patiently. Fiona is not related to him. She's just a sweet young girl who wanted to see Earth and loves to act in his movies. Sam went to school with her mother.
"John Smith is that handsome bloke she's always walking around with?" Fiona asks.
"Oh, he's not so handsome," Derek says swiftly. He's had a crush on Fiona for years now.
"He is so handsome," Fiona says back.
Sam looks around to the door. Where is Donna? How had he never appreciated how sane and calm she is? A far cry from the insanity that his staff engaged in all the time.
"That is John Smith," Sam says firmly. "I leave it to all of you to decided whether or not he is handsome. Torchwood operatives will be coming to the studio. They'll be helping us during filming."
"As security?" Clive asks. He's plainly angry that Sam didn't see fit to clue him in on his plan. Well, tough for Clive. It's Sam's name on the door, and his reputation in the line. If Clive wanted to be involved he wouldn't have run off to Spain at the first sign of trouble.
"Some will be doing security for us," Sam allows. "And others will be doing other things."
"Such as?"
Sam is saved from answering by a tap on the conference room door. Donna opens it.
"Mr. Lively, they're here."
oOoOo
"There is absolutely no way that I am agreeing to this!" Clive yells angrily.
"This is the only way," Sam says patiently. "It will work."
"How will it work? These people know nothing about the movie industry!"
"They don't need to know anything about the movie industry! They know about aliens!"
"How is that going to help us?"
"Oh, you'd be amazed at what we know about aliens."
The two men whirl around at the sound of the Doctor's voice. They're in Sam's office, standing toe to toe and yelling at the top of their lungs. The Doctor had walked right in and observed them in amusement, hands stuck in his pockets, before finally speaking.
"My people know what they're doing," he says. "We can help you."
"What can you do that any undercover security firm couldn't do?" Clive asks.
"Well, we won't panic at the mention of aliens."
"And that's something else," Clive adds. "How can we trust these people?"
"If we wanted you for capture or for study or for deportation, you'd already be gone," the Doctor says coolly.
"Are you threatening me?"
"Clive, enough," Sam says tiredly. "They're here to help us. Get over it."
Clive sets his jaw. "Fine. I'll cooperate, of course. As long as the movie gets made."
"It'll get made," the Doctor says. "And we will find out who's responsible for all of your accidents. We have alien detectors armed and ready."
"Alien detectors," Clive says in disgust.
"Clive, I swear, if you weren't my brother-"
"I have a lot of work to do," Clive says stiffly. "I'll be in my office."
Sam meets the Doctor's eye after Clive has left. Sam shrugs.
"Family business. I can't kill him, and if I fired him he'd go to another studio and be a direct competitor."
"Families can be complicated," the Doctor says noncommittally. "Are you ready to put them all together?"
Sam hesitates. Really hesitates. He's having second and third and fourth thoughts about this. To let Torchwood in is extremely risky. The only reason he agreed was because Janet contacted them first. If it were up to him he would have gone on by himself and hoped for the best.
"Sam?"
"Yeah, let's go."
The Doctor smiles happily. "Excellent."