Notes: Alistair goes for a job interview after his medical discharge.
The task force goes hunting aliens.

Chapter 10

12 years previously

Alistair had travelled on the tube to Highgate station, and was now walking along the tree lined Queenswood Road towards the Tyler's Mansion. The area was very select, with leafy hedges that hid the houses behind, or tall brick walls topped with wrought iron railings to discourage any unwanted intrusions.

He arrived at the ornately sculptured gates and checked the name on the brass plate on the brick gate post. It read 'Tyler House', so this was it. Looking through the gate, he could see a long driveway that curved away for a couple of hundred yards to a large, white house just behind the trees.

Below the nameplate was an intercom, which he pressed and heard the intermittent tone that was similar to a telephone waiting to be connected.

"Hello. Tyler residence, how may I help you?" a young lady's voice said.

He suddenly felt very self conscious and unsure of himself. He was being very presumptuous to think that a multi millionaire would be interested in employing a street kid from the Sutton estate. And yet, Pete Tyler seemed a really nice man when he had rescued his wallet from that pickpocket last year, before….

Alistair had been found by a search and rescue crew from the convoy who were looking for survivors. He had just been sat there in the rocks, staring across the valley, his tear filled eyes unfocused. His one fist was balled, holding a silver bracelet.

When the rescue crew saw the T.L.K, they knew he had been the one that had risked his life to establish a communication link that had called in the air strike. He was a hero. He didn't feel like a hero, he didn't feel anything except a raw, aching loss that burned at his very core.

He didn't know how long he had been in the hospital, time had no meaning for him anymore. It had stopped when Sam's voice had stopped on the radio. He would re-live the hell in his nightmares, where Sam would hold his shoulders and call his name, only to find when he awoke that it was a nurse on the ward.

The psychiatrist told him he was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which used to be known as 'shell shock'. Having a name for it didn't make it any better, or make it go away. However, things started to improve when another soldier was brought in and had the bed next to him.

He'd had a similar experience to Alistair, and it was someone he could talk to, or even more importantly not talk to, who understood what he had gone through and what he was still going through, over and over in his nightmares.

"Hello?" the young ladies voice sing-songed in the intercom, bringing him out of his memories.

"Oh, sorry. Alistair McKenzie, I'm here for an interview?" There was a slight pause as he presumed she was reading a list.

"Ah yes, the 12:30. Follow the drive around to the house, I'll meet you at the front steps."

"Thank you." The gates opened and Alistair walked through, noticing the security cameras that were monitoring him as he went. As he walked along the drive, he thought about his time at the Carruther's house on the base and how he'd learned all about being a butler.

Except it wasn't called being a 'butler', in the army it was a 'batman', and in civilian life it was now called being a 'house manager'. Like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, he didn't care what it was called, it was something he had acquired and was something that he did well.

"So, Mr. McKenzie. Can we call you Alistair?" Pete asked as he looked through his CV.

"Yes sir, of course." He sat nervously in the Drawing Room of the mansion, with Pete and Jackie looking over his credentials.

"Oh look, it says here you're from the Sutton estate. Pete and me were on the Powell estate when we first got married," Jackie told him with a smile.

This made Alistair even more nervous. The two estates were close to each other. What if they recognised him from his dodgy past? He'd left those days behind him now, but they always seemed to try and catch up with him to remake his acquaintance.

"Have we met before?" Pete asked, pointing his finger between them.

"I think it may have been last year sir, on Oxford Street. I believe you dropped your wallet sir."

"I knew it! I remember now. You were in uniform, that's why I didn't recognise you straight away. It was you and an attractive redhead, she's difficult to forget. You picked up my wallet and wouldn't take a reward. There's not many that would do that these days."

Pete was smiling now. He had been impressed that day with a young soldier who had honesty and integrity. Alistair was struggling to keep himself together at the mention of Samantha, even after all the counselling.

"Mrs. Carruthers has given you a glowing reference," Pete said. "Is there a reason you left the Signal Corps?"

Pete had spotted the change in Alistairs expression.

"Er, yes sir, there is."

"I'm sorry Alistair, if it's personal and private then it's none of my business," Pete said sympathetically.

"No sir, I understand that as an employer, you want to know all about a potential employee." He cleared his throat.

"We were posted overseas, not long after I met you on Oxford Street…. There was an 'incident' with terrorist insurgents and…." He cleared his throat again. "A couple of people I was close to were killed."

"Oh you poor boy," Jackie said. "That must have been awful for you." She reached across the table to hold his hand. Alistair looked at her, not sure if this was appropriate for a potential employer.

What the hell, he couldn't help himself. He gripped her hand like a drowning man grips onto a rope while he tried to regain his composure. Jackie cast a glance at Pete, who had a sympathetic look on his face.

Alistair released her hand, took a deep breath and blew it out. He smiled and nodded at Jackie in thanks.

"Sorry about that. It's all still a bit raw," he explained.

"No, no. Please, it's me who should be apologising," Pete said.

"In answer to your question ma'am, yes it was awful. I just felt that I couldn't continue in the forces any more. You could say it sort of knocked the fight out of me. I was given a medical discharge. Post traumatic stress the doctor called it."

Pete and Jackie looked at each other and nodded.

"Well Alistair, with these references, your experience in the army and with your background being similar to our own, we'd like to offer you the position of house manager."

Alistair inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. He'd done it, he'd managed to leave his past behind him. If these people were as genuine as they seemed, he would be a loyal and faithful employee.

"Thank you sir, ma'am, I am very grateful for this opportunity."

"We've never had a house manager before, so you'll have to bear with us. It's going to be a learning experience for us," Pete said smiling.

"Oh I'm sure you'll do fine sir. After all you'll have a very good teacher," he said with a deadpan expression.

Pete was dumbstruck, but Alistair saw the flicker of a smile in Jackie's eyes. He gave them a smile with a twinkle in his eyes that showed them he was joking.

"Hah!" Jackie laughed. "Oh I like 'im Pete. He's as big a rogue as you are."


Professor Jenkins left the Guard House and walked across the base to the laboratory building. At the door to the Biological Research Laboratory, he keyed in the entry code and looked into the retinal scanner. The door clicked open and he walked into the empty lab.

In his hand he had something that looked like a key fob, and when he pressed it, he ceased being Professor David Jenkins and became Kerra-Kashinkai, Ke Caxtari mission commander for the intergalactic Ke Caxtari Corporation.

He went through to the store room and stood in the cabinet elevator which took him down to the complex below. He was still annoyed that these meddling apes had nearly derailed the whole operation and put two years of preparation in jeopardy.

How had that Medical Laboratory Scientific Officer, Linda Thomas stolen those samples? For what purpose? And where were they now? He was considering these questions as he made his way through the maze of corridors towards the operations centre.

It didn't really matter now, all that had happened was that the timetable had been brought forward. He had captured the two agents from that interfering Torchwood Institute, or at least that stupid soldier Chatfield had. They had been stripped of their equipment, which meant they wouldn't be able to call for help.

And the lorry load of pathogen had made it off the base and was on the way to be distributed around the globe. In just over a month, the whole planet would be ready for harvesting.

In the control centre, a number of Caxtarids were sitting at their stations, monitoring various systems.

"Let me know when everyone is inside and we have green lights on all the entrances," Kerra-Kashinkai said. Of course, there was more than one entrance to the complex. The storeroom was the most convenient to him, as he worked in the lab as Professor Jenkins.

He went through to his office at the far side of the control room, which had a large window so that he could keep an eye on things while he worked at his desk. He sat down and activated the intercom.

"Attention everyone. The final phase of the operation has been brought forwards and tonight we will seal the doors and wait. When this is over, we will all be rich. Very rich. You will all be able to retire to a life of luxury with your own estates and your own slaves. I just wanted to say thank you for all your hard work."

The Caxtarids in the control room stood and applauded him, cheering and chanting his name. He smiled at them and waved his appreciation before turning his attention to the long range communicator on his desk. He activated the holographic link and a head appeared above his desk.

"Commander. How is your mission?"

"It goes well have brought the schedule forward and should be ready in 30 Earth days. Are you able to make it for then?"

"That is not a problem Commander, I shall increase the speed of the fleet to accommodate the new deadline."

"Thank you Captain, I shall speak to you nearer the time." The head faded away.


"John, what's the status on the General?" McNab asked, with a number of stun rifles pointed at Chatfield.

"He's one of the good guys. We need to act fast, things are about to go to hell in a handbasket." He moved through the hole and started to run towards the office complex, Andy and Jack jogging either side of him. "There was an articulated lorry that left the base earlier. it's carrying crate loads of the pathogen. We have to intercept it."

"Right. Brains, did you get that? Over."

"Copy that. HQ will pull the license plate from the DSTL CCTV. Over."

"Good," John said as they ran through the door into the corridor. He opened the cover of the fire control panel, which was rows and rows of switches and green lights.

"General, does the base have a Tannoy system?"

"Yes. Its in my office."

"Call 'general quarters' or whatever it is you call. Get everyone out of the buildings." Chatfield nodded and went through the door into his office. "Rose, could you go with him and bring out the boxes with our equipment in them?"

"Yeah sure." She went into the office and came out with the plastic containers. He reached in and pulled out his sonic, giving it a kiss as he did. He adjusted the setting and scanned the panel.

"Damn, I was afraid of that. The remote trigger has bypassed the panel, I can't shut it down from here." He put the sonic in his pocket and started loading his pockets with his gear. "We have to get out of the building before the Caxtarids activate the sprinklers."

"Mum? It's okay. We're safe…. Oh don't cry Mum. Is EJ being a good boy for you?"

John looked up and saw that Rose had picked up her phone and called Jackie. She talked as they walked along the corridor to the exit. Alpha Team were following, removing their helmets and masks as they went outside.

"What?! Dear God no! That's awful. Look Mum, I've got to go, we've got to stop this. We'll see you later, bye."

Everyone was looking at her, wondering what was so awful.

She had tears in her eyes. "It was on the news. Zombies are coming out of houses. People who thought they'd got the flu and went to bed." Her voice caught in her throat. "John…. They ate their children. What was left of them became zombies as well."

John went over and hugged her. "Come on Love, let's stop this now."

She nodded, wiping her eyes.

"Beta Team Leader to Alpha Team Leader. Over," Duncan called through Andy's intercom.

"Go ahead. Over."

"We are approaching the base. What is your status. Over." Andy looked around and saw the parade ground filling with people coming out of the buildings.

"Doc and his Wife have been released. The base is about to be hit by the zombie bug." Just as he started saying it, the fire alarms started wailing and ringing. "Correction, has been hit. We'll debrief when you arrive. Over.

Andy went over to Chatfield and saluted him. "Captain Andrew McNab, Torchwood Special Operations commander Sir."

Chatfield returned the salute. "General Malcolm Chatfield, DSTL base commander. It's one hell of an outfit you've got here Captain."

"Thank you Sir. We have a ground vehicle response team arriving shortly, could you have you guards let them in please.

"Of course." He attracted the attention of one of the officers who had been coordinating the evacuation of the buildings. "Run down to the Gate House and let in the Torchwood team if you would." The officer saluted and ran in the direction of the entrance.

Soon after, three Torchwood vans pulled up in front of Alpha Team, and were brought up to speed by McNab. They then looked to John for further guidance.

"An unknown number of Caxtarids have secured a base of operations under DSTL and have sealed themselves in while the human race turns into zombies. There will be a fleet of cargo ships on the way to take seven billion people off the planet."

"So what are we up against?" Andy asked, getting straight to the point. "

"You need to know your enemy," John said. "They are slave traders, they deal in bodies. They are tough and ruthless, only keeping people alive because they are worth money to them. They have been moving around the base using 'shimmers' to change their appearance."

"And how do we stop them?"

"We need a coordinated response," John told them. "First, we need to find that lorry and intercept it. My guess is its on the M3 heading to Heathrow."

Rose spotted it immediately. "Heathrow, of course!" She remembered their long haul flight to the Far East on their honeymoon. "In flight drinks. Vitex is on every flight, to every corner of the globe."

"Damn," Andy said. "Donuts, get your team on the road and head towards Heathrow." Duncan nodded and one of the vans filled with agents. "Alpha Team Leader to Night Hawk. Over."

"Go ahead. Over."

"Brains, the lorry is probably on the M3 heading towards Heathrow. Find it and liaise with Donuts to intercept. This is a priority. Over."

"Understood. Over."

"Next, I need to get to the TARDIS. We can use it to get inside the bunker and shut down their operation. I can contact their fleet and tell them not to bother because the games up. And finally, the antibiotic should be ready to use on the victims."

"Where's the TARDIS at the moment?" Jack asked.

"Er, it's in the Biological Research Lab. I'm going to need a Haz-Mat suit."

"I'll get the one out of the van," Jake said and ran to one of the remaining vans.

The Hazardous Materials suit was an all-in-one orange suit with a sealable helmet. 'Oh God' Rose thought, 'it's Krop Tor all over again'.

She stood in front of him and gave a weak smile. "Deja vu," she said.

"For a Time Lord, deja vu is an everyday experience," he said with a smile. "Don't worry. The Caxtarids are hunkered down in their bunker…. Ooh I like that, hunker in the bunker. There could be a bunker hunker…."

"John," Rose said patiently.

"What? Oh, right. Anyway, the lab will be abandoned. I just go in, get the TARDIS and bring it here. Simple."

Rose rolled her eyes, nothing was ever simple when he said simple.

"But Dr. Smith, how will you get into the lab? It's bomb proof and has biometric locks," Chatfield said.

"Ah, but it's not Doctor proof is it?" John said with a grin. "Right. Wait here and I'll be back in a tick."

"I want that Haz-Mat suit back in one piece, you got that?" Rose grabbed the helmet and in a replay of Krop Tor, kissed the face plate.

John grinned at the memory. "Yes sir. I'll see you shortly."

"Not if I see you first."

He turned and set off towards the laboratory buildings, and went inside. A few minutes later, Rose breathed a sigh of relief as she heard the beautiful sound of their TARDIS's engines. There were stunned faces on the parade ground and General Chatfield shook his head in disbelief as a blue police box appeared in front of them.

The door opened and John stepped out. "There you are, told you it was simple. The TARDIS has decontaminated the suit and the exterior shell."

Chatfield leaned towards Rose and put a hand on her shoulder. "Does this sort of thing happen to you very often?"

Rose laughed. "This sort of thing," she said, pointing to the TARDIS. "Usually only on our days off. The rest of it…. pretty much every day."

John was helped out of the Haz-Mat suit and it was stowed back in the van.

"So Andy, are the team ready to go? I can put us in the heart of their complex, then it's up to you."

"Thanks John. Do we have any idea of the size and layout of their base?"

"Don't worry, the TARDIS will give you the details when we get in their. How long does it take to plan an assault? Remember, these guys have weapons that can turn you to dust in the blink of an eye"

"We have a number of practiced scenarios that we can apply at short notice. It's just a case of assigning team members to each zone."

"Okay then, all aboard that's going aboard. Next stop, the Caxtarid warren," John said, and then did an Elmer Fudd voice. "I'm gonna hunt me a wabbit."

The 20 strong force of Torchwood agents started to file into the TARDIS, many of them never having been in there before. There were many expressions of surprise, disbelief and the odd expletive (followed by an apology to Rose).

"Excuse me," Chatfield called out. "Where do all these soldiers think they are going? They won't all fit in that wooden box."

Jack came up and slapped him on the shoulder. "How would you like to come along as an observer? I think you're in for one hell of a ride." Jack ushered him through the door and had to steady him as he had that feeling of motion sickness and disorientation.

"Ye Gods, it's…. it's…."

"Bigger on the inside?" John, Rose, Jack, Jake and Andy said together.

John set the controls and the time rotor started pumping up and down. 30 seconds later it stopped and John activated the view screen. The assault team gathered around to look at an empty 'star ship' corridor.

The TARDIS performed a high power detailed scan of the complex, showing the layout and locations of the Caxtarids which Andy studied.

"Listen up team, this is how it's going to happen. Six teams of three in a standard covert room entry and search. My team will take point and secure the corridor while the other teams search. Doc, anything to add?"

"Set your stunners to maximum and use multiple shots on each target to make sure they go down."

"Thanks Doc. Mission objectives are to neutralize the enemy, secure the complex and get the Doc to the control centre. Tool up people, lets hit them fast and hard while we have the element of surprise."

Each team member donned their headset and high tech helmet with head up display visor.

"Rose?" John said questioningly as she tooled up.

She looked at him and smiled. "Wha'? Yer didn't think I was stayin' behind did ya? I'm your bodyguard. Stickin' t'yer like glue I am."

They did a final weapons check, and McNab headed down the ramp with two other agents. They stepped into the corridor and silently walked to the end where they secured their positions.

"Alpha Team Leader to all teams, we are go." Five groups of three moved down the ramp and out the doors.

"General, if you would wait here," John said. "Please don't touch anything. You can watch the operation on the monitor." He followed the rest of the teams out of the doors and Rose closed them behind her.