{"Why is it always the stupid People?"}

I stood staring out into space at the stars when I felt his presence behind me. "You know it's been the time you mentioned." He muttered as he wrapped his arms around my waist, making sure to place his hands on my stomach causing me to smile. "Yes, and she is going to be leaving soon. So say goodbye when you can." I spoke looking up at him with a sad smile, it almost hurt me to see him so unemotional about her. She used to be his friend but because of me he can't even stand her.

"Don't. Stop thinking stupid things." I sighed, he always knew when I was thinking this way. That was just the type of connection we had, we when became one that first night; the years after it never seemed to keep us apart.

We've been through so many ups and downs, I knew him like the back of my hand and he knew me the same way.

And now we finally had a child on the way and it was both exciting and scary. I fear it will test our limits, but I know in the end we will push through together.

"In case your wondering, she does live." I spoke causing him to nod with a small sigh, "Thanks" he muttered back, I smiled glad that he still cared even if it was just a little bit in his own way.

————

The Tardis materialises in a corner of the children's playground on a bright, sunny day. Rose has a very heavy rucksack with her, "Mum, it's us! We're back!" Jackie smiled brightly at the sight of us. "Oh, I don't know why you bother with that phone. You never use it!" She snips at her daughter causing me to snort, "Shut up, come here!" Rose laughs pulling her mother into a hug. Watching them, I couldn't help but place a hand on my stomach as Theta wraps his arm around my waist.

I want to be a good mother.

"You will be. I promise."

I smiled at his voice in my head as Theta tries to make his way past, making sure to have a tight hold on my hand. "Oh no, you don't. Come here!" Jackie kisses the Doctor causing me to raise an eyebrow, "Oh, you lovely big fella! Oh, you're all mine." She pulls him into a tight hug slightly picking him up. "Just, just, just put me down!" She puts him down allowing him to wipe his mouth with a look of disgust causing me to snort.

Jackie then turns to me, pausing as she gives me a once over before smiling widely causing my eyes to widen. "Yes, you are." She confirms causing Theta to choke slightly when she elbows him in the side. I laugh and pull her into a hug, her making sure not to hug to tight. Rose hands over her rucksack, "I've got loads of washing for you. And I got you this."

A small ornate metal nick-nack, "It's from the market on this asteroid bazaar. It's made of, er, what's it called?" She asked, turning to us as Theta snooped around while I sat down on the couch, "Bazoolium." Both Theta and I answered together. "Bazoolium. When it gets cold, yeah, it means it's going to rain. When it's hot, it's going to be sunny. You can use it to tell the weather." She smiles brightly at her mother who watches her silently, "I've got a surprise for you and all."

"Oh, I get her bazoolium, she doesn't even say thanks." Roses spoiled response came causing me to roll my eyes, "Guess who's coming to visit? You're just in time. He'll be here at ten past. Who do you think it is?" Jackie asked excitedly towards her daughter. "I don't know." Rose frowned with a shrug, not really caring. "Oh go on, guess." Jackie insisted as Theta finally sat down next to me watching the scene with his arm behind my head.

"No, I hate guessing. Just tell me." Rose snipped after seeing what he did, ever since the Chloe Webber inside she's been real needy and mean. Worse than what she was before, more demanding and irritated. "It's your granddad. Granddad Prentice. He's on his way any minute, Right, cup of tea!" Jackie goes into the kitchen causing Rose to gap as she spun around towards us. "She's gone mad." She insisted causing me to sigh, I really wish she would be nicer to her mother.

"Tell me something new." Theta muttered causing me to smack him in the stomach, he grunted slightly with a small chuckle. "Granddad Prentice, that's her dad. But he died, like, ten years ago. Oh, my God. She's lost it. Mum? What you just said about granddad." We all got up to follow after her intro he kitchen.

"Any second now." Jackie smiled as she turned in a circle before looking at us, "But he passed away. His heart gave out. Do you remember that?" Rose asked as she placed a hand on her moms shoulder. "Of Course I do." I cocked my head with a frown, "Then how can he come back?" I asked her super confused myself. "Why don't you ask him yourself? Ten past. Here he comes." An ethereal humanoid shape walks through the outside wall and stands next to Jackie. "Here we are, then. Dad, say hello to Rose. Ain't she grown?"

"What the hell?"

Theta, Me and Rose run out of the block of flats. "They're everywhere!" He shouts in shock as he spun around in circles like a dog and no one is alarmed at the sight of them. "Doctor, look out!" One of the shapes walks through the Doctor. It is not a comfortable sensation, I could feel it myself as it went through him. I made sure to steer clear of all as I held onto my stomach. I didn't like this at all, and it almost seeming like something was blocking my ability to see. "They haven't got long. Midday shift only lasts a couple of minutes. They're about to fade." Jackie states as she walks up to us with a sad frown, "What do you mean, shift? Since when did ghosts have shifts? Since when did shifts have ghosts? What's going on?"

"Oh, he's not happy when I know more than him, is he?" Jackie smiled smugly as I frowned towards her, this wasn't something to be smug about. "But no one's running or screaming or freaking out." I explained looking around as people continued on with there daily life. "Why should we? Here we go. Twelve minutes past." Somewhere, a man in a lab coat pulls a big lever, like the sort used to change railway points. The images vanish, I frowned deeply and took a breath making eye contact with Theta who was already looking at me. He gave me a small nod which I returned.

——

The Ghostwatch programme is on the television, presented by that bloke from Cash in the Attic. "On today's Ghostwatch, claims that some of the ghosts are starting to talk, and there seems to be a regular formation gathering around Westminster Bridge. It's almost like a military display."

"What the hell's going on?" Theta changes the channel, "And tonight we're expecting very strong ghosts from London, through the North and up into Scotland." Trisha Goddard's show - I married a dead man. "So basically, Eileen, what you're telling me is, that you are in love with a ghost."

"He's my ghost, and I love him twenty four seven." Change channel to an interview with a ghost hunter. "Well, no one needs me anymore!" If only. Change channel to an advert. "My ghost was pale and grey until I discovered Ectoshine!"

"Et le President d'aujourd'hui, quelle est" An Indian newsreader follows, then a Japanese lady, "Oh, yes." Jackie smiles brightly at us, "It's all over the world." Theta frowned changing the channel again. "Listen to me, Den Watts. I don't care if you have come back from the grave. Get out of my pub! The only spirits I'm serving in this place are gin, whisky and vodka. So, you heard me. Get out!"

Theta turns the TV off as we all turned to Jackie, "When did it start?" I asked her sitting down on her coffee table. "Well, first of all, Peggy heard this noise in the cellar, so she goes down" Jackie started causing me to roll my eyes and Theta to clear his throat with a shake of his head. "No, I mean worldwide." I explained causing her eyes to widen, "Oh. That was about two months ago. Just happened. Woke up one morning, and there they all were. Ghosts, everywhere. We all ran round screaming and that. Whole planet was panicking. No sign of you, thank you very much. Then it sort of sank in. It took us time to realise that we're lucky."

"What makes you think it's granddad?" Rose asked her mother, "It just feels like him. There's that smell, those old cigarettes. Can't you smell it?" Jackie asked her daughter expectingly but Rose winced, "I wish I could, mum, but I can't." She frowned shaking her head. "You've got to make an effort. You've got to want it, sweetheart." Jackie tried with a small smile. "The more you want it, the stronger it gets." Theta muttered with a thoughtful look on his face. "Sort of, yeah."

"Like a psychic link. Of course you want your old dad to be alive, but you're wishing him into existence. The ghosts are using that to pull themselves in." I explained causing her to frown, "You're spoiling it." She pouted sadly at me, I placed a hand on her leg. "I'm sorry, Jackie, but there's no smell, there's no cigarettes. Just a memory." I spoke gently, "But if they're not ghosts, what are they then?" Rose asked turning to Theta.

"Yeah, but they're human! You can see them. They look human."

"She's got a point. I mean, they're all sort of blurred, but they're definitely people."

"Maybe not. They're pressing themselves into the surface of the world. But a footprint doesn't look like a boot."

——

"According to the paper, they've elected a ghost as MP for Leeds. Now don't tell me you're going to sit back and do nothing." Theta pops up from below the console floor wearing a backpack and holding a hosepipe like device. "Who you going to call?" He asked in a sing song voice causing me to burst out laughing, "Ghostbusters!" Rose and I cheered as we all headed towards the door. "I ain't afraid of no ghosts. When's the next shift?"

Theta puts three metal cones linked by wires on the grass, "Quarter to. But don't go causing trouble. What's that lot do?" Jackie asks as she stands off to the side a bit. "Triangulates their point of origin." I explained to her causing her to give a hum and nod. "I don't suppose it's the Gelth?" Rose asked squinting at Theta who shook his head. "Nah. They were just coming through one little rift. This lot are transposing themselves over the whole planet. Like tracing paper."

"You're always doing this. Reducing it to science. Why can't it be real? Just think of it, though. All the people we've lost. Our families coming back home. Don't you think it's beautiful?" Jackie asked moving towards him causing him to frown at her. "I think it's horrific. Rose, give us a hand." They plug the power cable into the Tardis console. Jackie and I follow them in and closes the door. Neat trick with such a thick cable running through it, "As soon as the cones activate, if that line goes into the red, press that button there. If it doesn't stop" He hands her the sonic screwdriver causing me to smile lightly. At least he was being nice to her right now, and she seemed to love the attention she was getting.

"Setting fifteen B. Hold it against the port, eight seconds and stop." She nods as she thinks about what he said, "Fifteen B, eight seconds." She repeats confirming it with herself, "If it goes into the blue, activate the deep scan on the left." I let her know causing her to growl in irritation at the sound of my voice. "Hang on a minute, I know. Push that one." She points causing him to wince, "Close." He uttered in slight irritation because she seemed to think she knew what she was doing but in reality she didn't.

"That one?"

"Now you've just killed us."

"Er, that one."

"Yeah! Now, what've we got. Two minutes to go?"

Theta activates the cones, "What's the line doing?" Rose and Jackie stayed inside the Tardis at the console while I stood in the doorway between them. "It's all right. It's holding!" Rose shouts back and I repeat her, "You even look like him?" Jackie's voice draws me in as I not so subtly listen to them. "How do you mean? I suppose I do, yeah." Rose smiles to herself while Jackie's eyes catch mine. "You've changed so much." Jackie looked at her daughter as if she didn't know who she was, "For the better."

"I suppose." Jackie scoffed, Rose glared. "Mum, I used to work in a shop." Her spoiled response caused me to roll my eyes as Jackie look offended at her own daughter. "I've worked in shops. What's wrong with that?" Jackie snaps, I could tell she was disappointed in her with the way she acts. "No, I didn't mean that." Rose sighed, "I know what you meant. What happens when I'm gone?"

"Don't talk like that."

"No, but really. When I'm dead and buried, you won't have any reason to come back home. What happens then?"

"I don't know." She shrugged eyeing me with a glare, "Do you think you'll ever settle down?" Jackie asked causing Rose to smile down at her feet, I could tell that she was thinking about settling down with Theta although that would never happen.

"The Doctor never will, so I can't. I'll just keep on travelling." She smirked towards me, Jackie too looked over at me with a sad disappointment look. "And you'll keep on changing. And in forty years time, fifty, there'll be this woman, this strange woman, walking through the marketplace on some planet a billion miles from Earth. But she's not Rose Tyler. Not anymore. She's not even human."

"Here we go!"

"The scanner's working. It says delta one six."

"Come on then, you beauty!"

In the playground, a ghost appears between the cones, and gets trapped. Jackie and Rose watch it on the scanner. Theta puts on a pair of red and blue 3D cardboard spectacles and makes an adjustment to his control box. The ghost is starting to writhe inside the field, "Don't like that much, do you? Who are you? Where are you coming from? Whoa!" The ghost tries to break out of the field. "That's more like it! Not so friendly now, are you?"

Theta gathers up the cones as the ghost disappear.

He runs into the Tardis behind me, closing the door and running up to the console. "I said so! Those ghosts have been forced into existence from one specific point, and I can track down the source. Allons y!" And we are off, going to the one place where a war was about to break out.

—

"I like that. Allons y. I should say allons y more often. Allons y. Watch out, Rose Tyler. Allons y. And then, it would be really brilliant if I met someone called Alonso, because then I could say, allons y, Alonso, every time. You're staring at me." I watched him in absolute joy, Rose just stared. "My mum's still on board." She whispered as we both looked up to where Jackie was sitting with her arms crossed. "If we end up on Mars, I'm going to kill you." I chuckled as I patted Theta on the arm, The Tardis materialises in Torchwood Loading Bay 2, and is immediately surrounded by armed troops.

We watch them on the scanner, "Oh well there goes the advantage of surprise. Still, cuts to the chase. Stay in here, look after Jackie." Theta demands to me and Rose causing both of us to have a problem with it. "I'm not looking after my mum." Rose scoffed, crossing her arms like a spoiled child. "Well, you brought her."

"I was kidnapped!"

"Doctor, they've got guns."

"And I haven't. Which makes me the better person, don't you think? They can shoot me dead, but the moral high ground is mine."

Theta steps outside and raises his arms, Yvonne runs in on her high heels. "Oh! Oh, how marvellous. Oh, very good. Superb. Happy day." She starts clapping and the soldiers join in. Theta lowers his arms, he blushes at the praise and ego boost causing me to roll my eyes. "Er, thanks. Nice to meet you. I'm the Doctor."

"Oh, I should say. Hurray!"

"You, you've heard of me, then?"

"Well of course we have. And I have to say, if it wasn't for you, none of us would be here. The Doctor, Kate and the Tardis." More applause, "And you are?" He asks causing her to nod, "Oh, plenty of time for that. But according to the records, you're not one for travelling alone. The Doctor and his lover Kate. Where is she by the way, I would love to meet her. And that companion. That's a pattern, isn't it, right? There's no point hiding anything. Not from us. So where are they?"

"Yes. Sorry. Good point. She's just a bit shy, that's all." Theta reaches in through the slightly open door and grabs the first person he can. "But here she is, Rose Tyler." Oh no it isn't, it's Jackie and I pause a minute before moving out as well. "Hmm. She's not the best I've ever had. Bit too blonde. Not too steady on her pins. A lot of that. And my Kate." The women smiles at me but I just stare her down as Rose stays stuck in the Tardis.

"And just last week, she stared into the heart of the Time Vortex and aged fifty seven years. But she'll do." I smacked him upside his head while Jackie looks at him offended, "I'm forty." She insists, "Deluded. Bless. I'll have to trade her in. Do you need anyone? She's very good at tea. Well, I say very good, I mean not bad. Well, I say not bad. Anyway, lead on. Allons y. But not too fast. Her ankle's going." Jackie glared at him as I watched amused at the situation. "I'll show you where my ankle's going."

—

"It was only a matter of time until you found us, and at last you've made it. I'd like to welcome you, Doctor. Welcome to Torchwood." A massive warehouse area, with lots of crates, jeeps and trucks running around, and a flying saucer. "That's a Jathar Sunglider." I spoke with a frown, eyeing her.

"Came down to Earth off the Shetland Islands ten years ago." I scoffed, "What, did it crash?" I asked even though it was highly unlikely. "No, we shot it down. It violated our airspace. Then we stripped it bare. The weapon that destroyed the Sycorax on Christmas Day? That was us. Now, if you'd like to come with me. The Torchwood Institute has a motto. If it's alien, it's ours. Anything that comes from the sky, we strip it down and we use it for the good of the British Empire."

"For the good of the what?"

"The British Empire."

"There isn't a British Empire."

"Not yet. Ah, excuse me. Now, if you wouldn't mind."

A soldier hands Yvonne a very big gun, "Do you recognise this, Doctor? Kate?" Jackie moves in front of me as a protector causing me to smile and grab her hand. "That's a particle gun." Theta explained, giving Jackie a grateful nod. "Good, isn't it? Took us eight years to get it to work." She smiled smugly, "It's the twenty first century. You can't have particle guns." I stated staring her down with a glare. "We must defend our border against the alien. Thank you, Sebastian, isn't it?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Sebastian nods with a smile, "Thank you, Sebastian. I think it's very important to know everyone by name. Torchwood is a very modern organisation. People skills. That's what it's all about these days. I'm a people person." I rolled my eyes at her boost, "Have you got anyone called Alonso?" Theta asked, Jackie and I turned to him with frowns. "No, I don't think so. Is that important?"

"No, I suppose not. What was your name?"

"Yvonne. Yvonne Hartman." Theta picks up a black plastic step-stool with a handle on top. "Ah, yes. Now, we're rather fond of these. The Magnaclamp. Found in a spaceship buried at the base of Mount Snowdon. Attach this to an object and it cancels the mass. I could use it to lift two tonnes of weight with a single hand. That's an imperial ton, by the way. Torchwood refuses to go metric." She explained to us, "I could do with that to carry the shopping." Jackie pointed out causing me to chuckle but Yvonne glared in irritation. "All these devices are for Torchwood's benefit, not the general public's."

"So, what about these ghosts?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest as she eyed me. "Ah yes, the ghosts. They're er what you might call a side effect." I glared, "Of what?" I growled out in irritation causing her to slightly flinch. She may have heard of me, hell many have but nothing knew of my wrath more than the Daleks themselves and they would sacrifice there whole fleet to kill me. "All in good time, Kate. There is an itinerary, trust me."

The TARDIS is driven past on the back of a truck. "Oi! Where are you taking that?" Jackie asked mostly because Rose was still in there. "If it's alien, it's ours." I don't know what happened but within a second I walked up and bitched slapped her. "That is not yours! That is our home and you will put it somewhere safe, Do You Understand?!" I snarled in her face as my eyes glowed red, she reared back in fear and nodded. "Put it somewhere safe. So they can get to it when they leave."

Theta immediately pulls me closer as he placed his head against mine. I took a deep breath and nodded, "I'm okay." I muttered. He chuckled and kissed my head, "Pregnant and Possessive. I like it." I blushed at his low mutter before we pulled away. Rose peeks out of the Tardis, Theta gives her a little nod.

—

Rose goes through the Doctor's coat pockets. "Psychic paper, psychic paper." She paused though when she felt a box, frowning she pulled it out and opened it. Inside was a beautiful golden ring causing her gasp as tears grew in her eyes. "Oh Doctor. I knew you loved me." She muttered as she put it in her pocket for keepsakes. She would give it back when this was over but she wanted to keep it for now.

—

"All those times I've been on Earth, I've never heard of you." Theta muttered as he looked around, Yvonne making sure to avoid me like a plague. "But of course not. You're the enemy. You're actually named in the Torchwood Foundation Charter of 1879 as an enemy of the Crown. Although Kate is somewhat of an exception." Yvonne winced under the glare I shot her, Theta turned to me in slight confusion. "1879. That was called Torchwood, that house in Scotland." I reminded him.

"That's right. Where you encountered Queen Victoria and the werewolf." Yvonne nods with a smile, "I think he makes half of it up." Jackie grumbled to herself causing me to chuckle. "Her Majesty created the Torchwood Institute with the express intention of keeping Britain great, and fighting the alien horde."

"But if I'm the enemy, does that mean that I'm a prisoner?"

"Oh yes. But we'll make you perfectly comfortable. And there is so much you can teach us. Starting with this." Yvonne was really starting to piss me off, "Why is it always the stupid people that know how to piss me off." She flinched an moved away causing Theta to chuckle. He grabbed my hand an moved me behind him while Jackie smiled and nodded in approval.

We enter a hug room with a big black sphere in the middle, I stared up at it with a unsettled feeling. "Now, what do you make of that?" She smirks in our direction, "You must be the Doctor. Rajesh Singh. It's an honour, sir." Rajesh salutes causing Theta to wince, "Yeah." He uttered, "What is that thing?" Jackie asked pointing at it.

"We got no idea." Yvonne stares up at it with a contemplating look. "But what's wrong with it?" Jackie asks causing me to look over at her in confusion, "What makes you think there's something wrong with it?" Rajesh asks, She was right there was something wrong with it. I placed a hand on my stomach and backed away. "I don't know. It just feels weird." Jackie stated as she moved to pull be close.

"Well, the sphere has that effect on everyone. Makes you want to run and hide, like it's forbidden." Yvonne muttered with a shrug of no care in the world. "We tried analysing it using every device imaginable." Theta puts on his 3D glasses, "But according to our instruments, the sphere doesn't exist. It weighs nothing, it doesn't age. No heat, no radiation, and has no atomic mass." He rambled, "But I can see it." Jackie states with a frown. "Fascinating, isn't it? It upsets people because it gives off nothing. It is absent."

"Well, Doctor?" Yvonne asks, "This is a Void Ship." I stated from the back of the room causing everyone to turn in slight shock that I was so far away. "And what is that?" She asks as Theta watched me closely, "Well, it's impossible for starters. I always thought it was just a theory, but it's a vessel designed to exist outside time and space, travelling through the Void." Theta explained for me when he notice my hand on my stomach.

"And what's the Void?"

"The space between dimensions. There's all sorts of realities around us, different dimensions, billions of parallel universes all stacked up against each other. The Void is the space in between, containing absolutely nothing. Imagine that. Nothing. No light, no dark, no up, no down, no life, no time. Without end. My people called it the Void. The Eternals call it the Howling. But some people call it Hell." I explained, Rajesh frowned at me as Theta watched me with a fond look in his eyes. "But someone built the sphere. What for? Why go there?"

"To explore? To escape? You could sit inside that thing and eternity would pass you by. The Big Bang, end of the Universe, start of the next, wouldn't even touch the sides. You'd exist outside the whole of creation."

"You see, we were right. There is something inside it."

"Oh, yes"

"So how do we get in there?"

"We don't! We send that thing back into Hell. How did it get here in the first place?"

"Well, that's how it all started. The sphere came through into this world, and the ghosts followed in its wake." Yvonne shrugged as if it was no big deal, "Show me." Theta walks out and turns left, pulling me along with him."No, Doctor." He turns round and goes right with me laughing at him.

—

Rose sneaks out of the Tardis, which has been put next to a very large and brightly decorated mummy case. She grabs a white coat from a bench and walks out. Yvonne points us at the blank wall at the far end of the Lever room. "The sphere came through here. A hole in the world. Not active at the moment, but when we fire particle engines at that exact spot, the breech opens up." She explained, I was just glad to be out of that other room.

"How did you even find it?" Theta asked as he touched the wall, "We were getting warning signs for years. A radar black spot. So we built this place, Torchwood Tower. The breech was six hundred foot above sea level. It was on the only way to reach it." I scoffed with a eye roll, "You built a skyscraper just to reach a spatial disturbance? How much money have you got?" I asked in disbelief, "Enough."

Jackie is looking out of a window. "Hold on a minute. We're in Canary Wharf. Must be. This building, it's Canary Wharf." She pointed out as Theta and I moved with Yvonne to the windows. "Well, that is the public name for it. But to those in the know, it's Torchwood." I really didn't like that name, it gave me really bad vibes. "So, you find the breach, probe it, the sphere comes through six hundred feet above London, bam. It leaves a hole in the fabric of reality. And that hole, you think, oh, shall we leave it alone? Shall we back off? Shall we play it safe? Nah, you think let's make it bigger!" Theta shouts sarcastically with an irritated look.

"It's a massive source of energy. If we can harness that power, we need never depend on the Middle East again. Britain will become truly independent. Look, you can see for yourself. Next Ghost Shift's in two minutes." She told him as she moved into the lever room, Theta glared. "Cancel it." He demanded moving behind her, "I don't think so." She scoffed, "I'm warning you, cancel it." He yelled in anger, she turned around in disbelief. "Oh, exactly as the legends would have it. The Doctor, lording it over us. Assuming alien authority over the Rights of Man." I glared harshly at her.

"Let me show you. Sphere comes through." He points his sonic screwdriver at her glass wall. It cracks, "But when it made the hole, it cracked the world around it. The entire surface of this dimension splintered. And that's how the ghosts get through. That's how they get everywhere. They're bleeding through the fault lines. Walking from their world, across the Void, and into yours, with the human race hoping and wishing and helping them along. But too many ghosts, and." He taps the glass and it shatters, she just didn't seem to care. "Well, in that case we'll have to be more careful. Positions! Ghost Shift in one minute."

"Miss Hartman, I am asking you, please don't do it." Theta begs but we both knew she wouldn't listen to him. Humans. They think they're so mighty and big but when the get into trouble they find other things to blame. They didn't care what it did as long as it made them happy. "We have done this a thousand times."

"Then stop at a thousand! You stupid humans!" I shouted, the whole room paused as everyone stared at me in horror. Theta immediately pulls me into his chest, "Your powers, my love." I immediately took a deep breath and closed my eyes. "We're in control of the ghosts. The levers can open the breach, but equally they can close it."

"Okay."

Theta goes back into her office and fetches a chair to sit on, he hums moving to pull me onto his lap. "Sorry?" She asks with a frown, he was just going to give up was what she was thinking. "Never mind. As you were." He nodded at her, putting his feet up causing me to grip him tighter so I wouldn't fall. "What, is that it?" She scoffs with a fake laugh, "No, fair enough. Said my bit. Don't mind me. Any chance of a cup of tea?" He asked looking at her.

"Ghost Shift in twenty seconds."

"Mmm, can't wait to see it."

"You can't stop us, Doctor."

"No, absolutely not. Pull up a chair, Rose. Come and watch the fireworks." He smirks at Jackie causing her to roll her eyes back at him. "Ghost Shift in ten seconds. Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two" Yvonne finally listened. "Stop the shift. I said stop." She demands causing the shift to stop, "Thank you." Theta muttered as he tightened his grip on my waist. "I suppose it makes sense to get as much intelligence as possible. But the programme will recommence, as soon as you've explained everything."

"I'm glad to be of help."

"And someone clear up this glass. They did warn me, Doctor. They said you like to make a mess. Although I can't say much about Kate. There never has been much on you." Matt is at his computer, wearing two earpieces. Now there are three busily typing. Rose follows another scientist along a corridor to a sign saying Torchwood Institute, Reception, Lever Room, Maintenance. She kisses the psychic paper then puts it against the entry reader for the door the scientist has just gone through.

—

"So these ghosts, whatever they are, did they build the sphere?" Yvonne asks as she sits on the other side of her desk. "Must have. Aimed it at this dimension like a cannon ball." Theta explained before Rajesh's voice came through the computer. "Yvonne? I think you should see this. We've got a visitor. We don't know who she is, but funnily enough, she arrived at the same time as the Doctor." Yvonne turns her laptop so the Doctor can see Rose and Rajesh on the webcam. Rose immediately glares at the sight of me sitting on his lap.

"She one of yours?"

"Never seen her before in my life."

"Good. Then we can have her shot."

"Oh, all right then. It was worth a try. That's, that's Rose Tyler."

"Sorry. Hello. Yes I am his." She smiles lovingly at him causing me to move off him with a frown at her. I wasn't upset at him but her face almost made me feel like she knew something I didn't. "Well, if that's Rose Tyler, who's she?" Yvonne asks, she was observing the whole situation. "I'm her mother."

"Oh, you travel with her mother?"

"He kidnapped me." I chuckled lowly at her, "Please, when Torchwood comes to write my complete history, don't tell people I travelled through time and space with her mother." I smacked him causing him to pout at me. Clunk! "Charming." Jackie muttered with a glare, "I've got a reputation to uphold." Theta tried to defend weakly as Yvonne got up and moved into the lever room with a frown. "Excuse me? Everyone? I thought I said stop the ghost shift. Who started the programme? But I ordered you to stop! Who's doing that?"

The levers are moving, "Right, step away from the monitors, everyone. Gareth, Addy, stop what you're doing, right now. Matt, step away from your desk. That's an order! Stop the levers! Andrew!" A scientist grabs one of the levers. "Stop the levers!" Yvonne demands in anger, "What's she doing?" Theta asked watching them with a frown. "Addy, step away from the desk. Listen to me. Step away from the desk."

"She can't hear you. They're overriding the system. We're going into Ghost Shift." We all move into the lever room watching them continue without hesitation.

"It's the ear piece. It's controlling them. I've seen this before. Sorry. I'm so sorry." He zaps Adeola's ear piece with his sonic screwdriver. She screams, and so do Gareth and Matt. Then they collapse, "What happened? What did you just do?" Yvonne panics in horror as I sigh sadly looking over them all. "They're dead." I stated lowly, "You killed them." Jackie stated with a look of disgust and disbelief. "Oh, someone else did that long before I got here."

"But you killed them!"

"Jackie, I haven't got time for this."

"What are those ear pieces?"

"Don't."

"But they're standard comms. devices. How does it control them?" She moved towards them, bending down to check them. "Trust me, leave them alone." Theta warned her but she didn't listen. "But what are they?" Yvonne pulls one off Adeola. A rope of gray matter comes with it, "Urgh! Oh, God! It goes inside their brain." She shouts in horror, dropping it. "What about the Ghost Shift?"

"Ninety percent there and still running. Can't you stop it?" Yvonne demanded, "They're still controlling it. They've hi-jacked the system." I spoke towards Theta causing him to nod and move around the room. "Who's they?" Yvonne asked, "It might be a remote transmitter but it's got to be close by. I can trace it. Jackie, stay here!" Rajesh is on Yvonne's laptop with the message Sphere Activated. "Keep those levers down. Keep them offline." She demands as we lose the connection.

—

Theta is tracking the signal with his sonic screwdriver. We pass two soldiers going the other way, "You two. You come with us."

"Yes, ma'am." The scientists are struggling to stop the levers from reaching activation point. "What's down here?" I asked her turning back as she looked over our shoulders. "I don't, I don't know. I think it's building work. It's just renovations." She stuttered out, "You should go back." I pitied causing her to glare at me. "Think again." We go through the plastic curtains, "What is it? What's down here?"

"Ear pieces, ear pods. This world's colliding with another, and I think I know which one." Figures appear behind plastic curtains. "What are they?" Yvonne asks, both Mine and Theta's eyes widen as our hearts begin to pound. "They came through first. The advance guard." The figures rip the plastic sheets, just like they did in their Tomb, and step through. "Cybermen!" The soldiers open fire.

Cybermen escort us in the lever room, "Get away from the machines. Do what they say. Don't fight them!" The Cybermen activate their arm guns and shoot the scientists holding back the levers. "What are they?" Jackie asks in horror, "We are the Cybermen. The Ghost Shift will be increased to one hundred percent." The levers move up. "Online." The computer beeps, "Here come the ghosts." The shadowy images appear as usual.

"It's extraordinary, there are more ghosts than we've ever seen before, and it's happening all over the world."

"As far as we know, the increase in ghost activity is harmless."

Heavy boot steps are heard through the blank wall at the end.

"But these Cybermen, what've they got to do with the ghosts?"

"Do you never listen? A footprint doesn't look like a boot." Theta snarks, "Achieving full transfer." The voices bring back bad memories but I make sure to keep myself safe. "They're Cybermen. All of the ghosts are Cybermen. Millions of them, right across the world." The ghosts solidify and form up in squads everywhere. People start to scream and run, "They're invading the whole planet." Yvonne gasps, I scoffed in disbelief at her stupidity. "It's not an invasion. It's too late for that. It's a victory."

"Sphere activated. Sphere activated. Sphere activated. Sphere activated."

—

"I know what's in there, and I'm ready for them. I've got just the thing." Mickey gets his really massive gun from underneath the platform below the sphere. "This is going to blast them to Hell."

"Samuel, what are you doing?"

"The name's Mickey. Mickey Smith. Defending the Earth." Lock and load.

—

"But I don't understand. The Cybermen don't have the technology to build a Void Ship. That's way beyond you. How did you create that sphere?" Theta asked in confusion, "The sphere is not ours." The Cyberman answered causing me to frown, "What?" I asked, "The sphere broke down the barriers between worlds. We only followed. Its origin is unknown."

"Then what's inside it?"

"Rose is down there."

—

The sphere is slowly disappearing in a blaze of light. Then four oversized pepperpots glide out of the Void, "That's not Cybermen."

"Oh, my God."

"Location, Earth. Life forms detected. Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate! Exterminate!"

To Be Continued