Parallel: From Another World [1] (The Parallel Series) ✓

Army of Ghosts

"I'll show you where my ankle's going." Jackie hissed at the Doctor.

"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." She opened the doors to a massive warehouse fulls of jeeps, crates and a spaceship.

"That's a Jathar Sunglider." The Doctor Identified.

"Came down to Earth off the Shetland Islands ten years ago." She informed.

"What, did it crash?" He asked.

"They shot it." Rita clenched her jaw clearly not liking Yvonne. "Guess who followed orders to shoot on Christmas day" she glared at Yvonne.

"It violated our airspace. Then we stripped it bare." She protested. "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?" Jackie frowned.

"The British Empire." Yvonne repeated.

"There isn't a British Empire."

"Not yet." A soldier then walked up to Yvonne with a large gun. "Ah, excuse me. Now, if you wouldn't mind." He handed her the gun and she showed it to the two. "Do you recognise this, Doctor?"

"That's a particle gun." He told them.

"Good, isn't it? Took us eight years to get it to work." She beamed proudly.

"It's the twenty-first century. You can't have particle guns." He simply told her.

"We must defend our border against the alien. Thank you, Sebastian, isn't it?" She asked trying to remember.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Thank you, Sebastian." He nodded then walked off. "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." The Doctor took the opportunity to ask: "Have you got anyone called Alonso?"

She frowned at the odd question. "No, I don't think so. Is that important?"

"To him everything's important" the Doctor grinned at her comment.

"No, I suppose not sorry Rita. What was your name?" He looked at Yvonne.

"Yvonne. Yvonne Hartman."

The Doctor picked up a black object looking like a gear but much larger 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."

"I can see why you don't like them" he whispered into Rita's ear causing her to chuckle a little.

"I could do with that to carry the shopping." Jackie thought aloud and Yvonne looked at her like she was mad. "All these devices are for Torchwood's benefit, not the general public's."

"So, what about these ghosts?" He asked.

"Ah yes, the ghosts. They're er what you might call a side effect." She shrugged.

"Of what?"

"All in good time, Doctor. There is an itinerary, trust me." They heard a truck and turned noticing the TARDIS on the back.

"Oi! Where are you taking that?" Jackie snapped at Yvonne watching the truck.

"If it's alien, it's ours."