Child of Earth
By Lumendea
Chapter Thirty-Eight: Children of Earth: Timothy White
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.
…..
It was all over the news when they returned to Bannerman Road and rushed Skye up the stairs to Spock. Clyde, Rani and Luke all pulled out their laptops and began running searches while Spock scanned Skye once again. Yet the girl still seemed confused about what had occurred. Rose waited by the doorway as Sarah Jane placed Skye in front of Spock and waited for the evitable question. Pulling out her phone, she ran a thumb over the side of it and tried not to let the worry build up too much.
"Can you call the Doctor?" Sarah Jane asked, coming over to her once the scan had started. "He should be here for this."
"He can't come," Rose answered sadly. "Not this time."
"What?" Sarah Jane gasped. "Why not?"
"He said that something was coming, something that that has to play out in human hands." Rose licked her lips and swallowed thickly. "I think it's a fixed event. Something that will always happen. He's told me about them," she added in a rush. "They help keep the fabric of time stable and keep it all from collapsing." She looked towards Skye who was trying to stay still for Spock. "If he could come then I'm sure he would."
"But-"
"Sarah Jane," Rose breathed. "I won't call him for help when he can't give it, that would… torture him. You know how much he loves this planet. Loves you."
The look on Sarah Jane's face was hard to look at. There was anger, disbelief, fear and worst of all resignation. Rose lowered her eyes and looked down at her phone as she tried to gather her thoughts. Maybe this wasn't the event the Doctor had been talking about, but every instinct in her gut said it was. Because Sarah Jane was right: under normal circumstances, the Doctor would surely be here. Earth was his favourite planet, almost his home away from the TARDIS and valued children. But he wasn't, couldn't be here. She needed to focus and be the Defender of Earth that her planet needed right now, with or without him.
"Okay," Rose breathed, slipping her phone away. She caught Sarah Jane's eyes lingering on it and knew that Sarah Jane's desire to have the Doctor here was far from over. "Information search," she announced to the others, watching the teenagers pull out their laptops. "We need to confirm that this latest event happened across the world. Start looking for anything that doesn't fit while Spock processes Skye's scan."
"Something that doesn't fit?" Clyde repeated doubtfully. "Rose children across the globe as chanting as one, that doesn't fit."
"Clyde just… let's accept that and move on. If that is the normal of this situation then what isn't." She paused and forced a small smile. "There is always something. Always some little detail that betrays the great whole and leaves a hint."
Her words earned her a doubtful expression, but Rani, Clyde and Luke nodded in agreement. Johnny lingered by Skye, talking to her in a soft voice while Spock scanned her. Sarah Jane went over to her own computer, muttering something about her contacts.
Rubbing the back of her neck, Rose picked up her laptop bag and sat in one of the old side chairs to the right of Spock. She kept glancing towards Spock and Skye nervously. Her phone rang and she pulled it out, feeling ill when Jo's name appeared. Not daring to look at Sarah Jane, Rose went out to the landing once again.
"Hello Jo," she greeted tiredly. "I'm sorry but this is a fixed point in time. He can't interfere," Rose explained quickly before Jo could say anything.
"Rose my grandchildren-"
"I know," Rose answered, closing her eyes and fighting not to cry. "Skye's been affected too, but the Doctor warned me that this is on humans."
"Everyone is panicking," Jo argued.
"Then this is the day when humans finally accept that aliens are out there," Rose offered weakly. "I'll keep you informed Jo. So far Spock hasn't found any sign that the signal is hurting Skye. Your grandkids will be fine."
It felt like a dangerous promise, but Rose made it anyway before she ended the call and breathed out slowly. Shifting her phone, Rose prepared a long message on the situation and sent it out to the rest of the Companion Club along with a promise to keep them informed as she could. She hoped it would keep them from calling. Sighing, Rose kept her phone out and tried to gather her thoughts.
Her brain was a mess of worry and different theories that she couldn't help but start forming despite lacking too much information. Looking down at her phone, she scrolled through the contact list and looked at the TARDIS number. Rather than the usual black print, it was greyed out which made her frown and then sigh.
"Okay then," Rose groaned. "This is it then. Don't worry beautiful I won't call him," she promised the TARDIS despite being fairly certain that the wondrous time machine couldn't actually hear her. "At least that answers that question," Rose murmured as she moved to put her phone away.
Then it rang again and Rose grimaced, considering just letting it go to voicemail. However, she dutifully pulled the phone out and looked at the caller ID. It was Kate's UNIT number and Rose quickly brought the phone up to her ear.
"Hello this is Tyler," she greeted, just in case it wasn't actually Kate.
"Rose, Kate," she greeted sharply. "I suspect I don't have to tell you what is happening."
"Probably not," Rose sighed. "Unless there is another crisis going on beyond children all over the world being affected by some unknown force."
"Thankfully not to my knowledge," Kate replied weakly. "Where are you?"
"In London," Rose told her as she glanced back into the attic. "Sarah Jane's house."
"So you're already working on it?"
"Of course," Rose assured her gently.
"Please tell me that you're got something."
"Sorry Kate," Rose sighed into the phone as leaned against the bannister of the landing. "We don't know anything more than you yet. Spock is detecting some sort of signal sweeping the Earth that is targeted to the biochemistry of those who haven't hit puberty yet, but no ship."
"The message was they are coming," Kate observed. "Does Spock have an estimate as to how far away it might be?"
"He's never seen a signal like this before," Rose answered sadly. "He's got nothing to base an estimate on. He's watching the edge of the system to keep an eye out, though. What about on your end?"
"We haven't got anything more than you," Kate replied tensely. "Tests on children have thus far come up negative. Whatever it is we can't pinpoint it, but so far it isn't harming the children at all." She paused and Rose heard someone talking in the background for a moment. "We've started moving some children down into a shielded bunker to see if we can find some material to block the signal, but until they send another message we won't know."
"Bugger," Rose breathed, rubbing at her eyes. "Anything from Section 13 or Torchwood?"
"Section 13 and UNIT US are teaming up on this one, full disclosure agreement and everything," Kate told her. "That's a positive at least and we're in communication with the Russians and Chinese. They don't know what's happening either but are working on their shelters using different materials. With any luck, we'll find something we can use to protect the children."
"And Torchwood," Rose pressed with a sinking feeling.
"Hartman isn't talking with us," Kate admitted with a defeated sigh. "And sadly our contacts in the British government indicate that there is something going on. We believe Torchwood may have information, but they aren't sharing."
"What about Harriet? Have you spoken with the Prime Minster?" Rose demanded, pacing on the landing. "She likes me and I've tried to warn her about Hartman."
"We haven't been able to get through to her office," Kate confessed. "It's chaos at the government level Rose. I'm afraid this is it. The one that finally makes humans acknowledge aliens."
"Okay, hopefully, Harriet will contact me or communication will clear up," Rose sighed, the worried feeling at the back of her mind growing. "I'll keep working with Spock from here and see what I can learn." Rose paused and swallowed. "Kate how is-"
"Gordon's too old to be affected," Kate answered her softly before giving a mirthless laugh. "Just entered Oxford, but James is just a toddler. He's one of the children that's been put in the shelter to see if we can protect them."
"I see," Rose groaned. "I'm sorry Kate. We'll do everything we can."
"I know," Kate told her. "Stay in touch and stay safe. If you find anything let us know."
"Will do," Rose promised before the call ended and she sighed. She gave herself a moment before turning her attention back the matter at hand. "Spock?" Rose called when she reentered the attic and found Skye sitting with her father on the second loveseat Sarah Jane had added a few weeks back. "Anything new?"
"Second scan is showing nothing of interest," Spock intoned with a hint of defeat. "However I am creating a special brain activity comparison from when Skye first came to Earth. While there are no major changes currently as the situation unfolds it may yield more information."
"Well in other news the world is on red alert," Sarah Jane announced from her computer. "Currently there is a discussion on cancelling school and keeping children home in case this happens again."
"Which would be safer," Rani agreed.
"But potentially crash the economy," Rose pointed out, rubbing her tired eyes. "With all parents trying to stay home and mind their kids with no idea of how long this will last, it could get bad fast. There isn't an easy solution to this without giving into panic."
"I suppose," Rani conceded with a sigh before looking back at her computer. "These videos are creepy," Rani muttered as she shuddered.
"Yeah and there's already hundreds of them online," Clyde added with a distasteful look. "From all around the world. All of them the same. Really creepy."
"Hold on," Rani called out suddenly. "You're right, all of them are basically the same. All the kids are speaking English. It's always 'we are coming' and in English." She turned her laptop around and showed them a video with a group of children. "Recorded in Chile and yet they're all speaking English."
"She's right," Clyde agreed a moment later. "This one is from Taiwan and it's in English." He frowned and looked up Rose. "They must figure that English is the dominant language."
"No English is third," Sarah Jane informed them with a frown as she stood up from her desk and moved over to them. "The various Chinese dialects have over a billion speakers. Spanish is the second most common."
"So why did they pick English then?" Clyde questioned as he looked around the room. "Maybe cause of all the television and movie or because England or America is where they're going."
Rose looked over at Sarah Jane who was gripping Skye's shoulder and had a worried, but thoughtful look on her face.
"Maybe," Rose said thoughtfully. "Or it might be something else, some kind of connection between them and Earth." She leaned over Clyde's shoulder and played the video again. "Listen to the accent. It's muted, but definitely an English accent. The connection is to England, not the United States or Australia."
"Does that mean they're coming here?" Clyde questioned.
"Maybe," Rose agreed carefully before looking up towards Spock. "Spock send a message to the Shadow Proclamation, make it from a passing concerned ship. Also, send a request for aid to the Durmino Empire and the Orthans just in case."
"You're that worried?" Clyde asked with a nervous frown.
"The Doctor told me that something big was coming and he couldn't interfere," Rose answered, clenching and unclenching her fists. "And kids are involved so yeah I'm worried." Rose licked her lips and paced for a moment before turning back towards Spock. "Spock, I need you to work on getting information from Torchwood. Try to keep them in the dark that you're looking, but UNIT thinks they know something about what is happening."
"Rose, I just found an anomaly," Spock announced as the screen changed and brought up a short video of an older man chanting the same words as the children.
"What is this?" Rose questioned, "What am I looking at?"
"This is Timothy White. He is a patient in a psychiatric ward at the Duke Of York Hospital, East Grinstead," Spock informed her. "A member of staff recorded this video and sent it to the local police. I do not believe it has yet been seen by the staff however due to the high levels of concerns being filed."
"But he's old," Clyde scoffed. "Why is he chanting too?"
"Excellent question," Rose breathed as she watched the looping video. "The aliens are sending a message in English and here's an English-speaking adult who is being affected by it. Where did you say he was?"
"East Grinstead," Spock repeated as he brought up a map. "Thirty miles to the south in Sussex."
"It's a lead," Rose announced. "Okay Spock, delete that video from the email server and if you can from the phone it was sent on. Send a message to the hospital that it was received and Rose Tyler of UNIT is coming to speak with Mr White." Rose paused and shifted nervously. "Try to keep it quiet and discreet. I want to talk to this buy before anyone else gets to him."
"And UNIT?"
"Send them an update in two hours," Rose answered as she looked at her phone and pulled up a map. "I'll hopefully be there then and that cuts down the risk of someone else making a run for this guy. Assure Kate that I'll let them know if I find anything."
"Be careful," Sarah Jane told her.
"I will be," Rose promised with a slight smile before she looked back at the screen. "Sarah Jane… maybe you should head to Cambridge," Rose suggested carefully. "People are violent when they get scared so maybe it would be best not to have Skye in London."
Sarah Jane exhaled slowly but nodded a little. "I'll speak with Barbara about a visit." She glanced towards Rani and Clyde. "I'll see if Clyde and Rani can come along."
There was an awkward moment of silence as the suggestion sank in. "You're that worried?" Clyde asked as he shifted in his seat.
"You remember when the aliens crashed in Big Ben right? There were riots and people died. This will be worse, this is slow and will build up and involves the children."
She didn't want to talk about it further and shared a pointed look with Sarah Jane and Johnny. They understood, she could tell that much. Then she turned and headed for the stairs, stopping just long enough to scope up her laptop and its bag. She might just need them.
…
The drive to East Grinstead took her just over an hour and a half with a little bit of speeding, but that wasn't going to be the priority of the bobbies today. The hospital proved a little harder to find, but at the two-hour mark, Rose was walking into the psychiatric ward with her UNIT ID in hand. There was a knot in her stomach and Rose hoped that nothing bad was happening in London. It struck her as odd that she hadn't heard from the Prime Minister yet. After all, Harriet Jones had personally seen her save the world twice.
"I'm Rose Tyler," she told one of the nurses as she held up her UNIT card. "Here about Timothy white."
"Thank goodness," the nurse breathed in relief. "We've been trying to keep him calm. I'm not sure how much he can really tell you, though."
"I understand," Rose assured her, trying to smile, but failing. "Thank you for alerting us." She paused and did her best to look calm and professional. "What can you tell me about him?"
The nurse motioned her over behind the desk. There was a small screen that showed an older man rocking back and forth in the corner, clearly aggravated. "Timothy White, fifty-two years old," the nurse answered with a helpless shrug. "He's been with us three months, but he's got a history of being in and out of care all his life."
"And when he isn't in care?" Rose pressed, glancing at the nurse who sighed sadly.
"He spent forty years living in Leeds. That's where he first came on record. Found homeless, living on the streets at the age of eleven."
"Eleven," Rose repeated in horror. She shuddered, remembering the terror of the Pied Piper when she'd been eleven, but that had only been a few days. Rose couldn't fathom trying to survive on your own at that age. "Poor thing."
"No one ever reported him missing. Apparently, though, he did have a Scottish accent back then. Gone now, but he was a long way lost."
Rose wasn't sure what to say, but her gut told her that something had happened to this poor man. Something terrible when he was eleven and unlike her, there hadn't been a rescue. She was escorted to a small visiting room with a table, two chairs and a camera. A few minutes later they brought Timothy in.
He had a pleasant sort of face, but stress and fear had left him with thick lines and dark bags beneath his eyes. His salt and pepper hair was short with a slight curl to it and he had a neatly groomed beard. Rose offered him a reassuring smile as he sat down.
"Hello Mr White," she greeted gently. "My name is Rose Tyler, I'm sorry to surprise you with this visit."
"It's alright," Timothy answered in a gruff voice like he wasn't used to talking. "Who are you?"
"I'm a civilian consultant for the Unified Intelligence Taskforce," Rose explained before carefully continuing. "I'm here because of earlier. Do you remember anything strange happening to you today?"
His eyes fixed on her and Rose knew that he did. "Can you remember the voice, Timothy? Something spoke through you today and said 'we are coming'. Remember?"
"No," he hissed, lowering his eyes.
"Timothy… I think aliens are using you and the children all around the world to speak to us. But you're the only adult-"
"No such thing!"
"Yes, there is," Rose answered in a low whisper. "I've met aliens, Timothy. Many many times. I'll believe whatever you tell me. I promise."
"Give me your hand," Timothy demanded, holding out his and gesturing for her to hurry. Calmly, Rose held out her hand to Timothy with a small reassuring smile. He sniffed at it, drawing a slight frown of confusion from her. "You're telling the truth," he announced a moment later.
"You could tell that by smelling me?" Rose questioned with a curious frown.
"Yes, you've met them?"
"Like I said, many times," Rose replied with a slight chuckle.
"Still not safe. Isn't it, isn't it?" Timothy asked as he twitched. He looked over his shoulder at the camera. "They're watching."
"We can't have that now can we," Rose agreed as she pulled out the sonic pen, drawing Timothy's attention back to her. She pressed the silver trigger and the pen whirled, switching off the camera. "How's that Timothy?"
"What's that thing?"
"Sonic pen," Rose informed him with a chuckle before she slipped it into her ponytail and leaned forward. "But I'm afraid right now that I need to understand what is happening. You've met aliens too, Timothy. What happened?" She paused and hesitated for a moment. "What's your name?"
"Haven't said it in years," he murmured. "I was a kid."
"Eleven years old, yeah? What happened?"
"They took us out. In the night, in the dark. Isn't it, isn't it? They told us, they said we were going to a new home," he answered with a far off haunted look.
"Who did? Who told you that?"
"The staff."
"Staff… so a care home? An orphanage?"
"They drove us away for miles and miles," Timothy told her, ignoring her question. "They were there in the sky."
"Okay lights, anything else? What did they look like?"
"Light," Timothy answered blankly. The light took them."
"Took who? Who was with you?"
"My friends," he replied with a small catch in his voice.
"But they didn't take you, why?"
"I ran," he told her in a near-breathless voice. "There was something, there were people, there was. Isn't it, isn't it, isn't it, isn't it?"
"It's okay," Rose assured him almost frantically, a bit frightened by his sudden turn. "You're safe now."
"But they're coming back. I've been smelling them for months," he told her darkly. "In the air. Long time coming."
"Timothy I can help. If you and other children were taken then there's got to b records of you. What was your name? It might help me find the answer."
"I was Clem. Clement MacDonald," he answered after a few moment. His eyes watered a little at the sound of his own name.
"Hello Clem," Rose breathed. "Thank you so much. Where were you from? Do you remember?"
"Holly Tree," he told her in a more distant voice and Rose tensed. She didn't think she was going to get more out of him.
Then her phone rang making him jump. Rose held up a hand and smiled, hoping to reassure him as she pulled out the phone. It was Kate.
"Rose," Kate's voice greeted sounding almost out of breath. "Spock said you found something."
"Someone," Rose corrected. "And yes I have. These aliens have been here before and they took children. He managed to escape but seems to still be connected somehow. Kate we can't leave him here, it's too open."
"Okay," Kate agreed. "Give me five minutes and I'll have him released to your custody."
"I'll take him to Spock for a scan and then we'll come to HQ," Rose promised.
Then the nurse burst into the room looking out of breath. "Oh, bloody hell, I've been running. That camera's gone off. It just went dead. Still, no harm done, eh? Everything all right?"
"We're fine," Rose assured her as she stood from her chair and moved over to Timothy. Kneeling down next to him, Rose whispered, "It'll be okay Clem. I'm taking you somewhere safe and together we'll make sure that no other kids get taken."
A look of confusion and displeasure took over the nurse's face. "Right, well, I think you've had long enough. Time for your meds, isn't it, Tim? If you don't mind," she told Rose, gesturing towards the door.
"Actually hold off on those meds," Rose told her as she stood up. "In five minutes he'll be leaving with me." She looked at Timothy who offered her a slightly crooked smile that made him look a bit like a broken little boy. "So maybe his clothes would be a good idea."