Lost souls, Script VO

Lost souls

Introduction to announce the episode.

Noises.

Professor (over radio) : Leon, how are you getting on ?

Leon : Erm, I've re-secured the valve, so the magnet's fixed, Professor. Erm, inspected the cooling pipes, they're all okay.

Professor (over radio) : That's excellent. We don't want any hitches tomorrow. See you when you get back.

Leon : Ok. See you up there.

Leon hears an eerie sound.

Leon : Who's that ?

Eerie Voice : Come closer.

Leon : Who's there ?

Eerie Voice : Come to me.

Leon : Get away from me.

Eerie Voice : There's nowhere to hide.

Leon (gasping, choking) : No.

Eerie Voice : Your life is our life.

Leon continues to choke before screaming.

Introduction.

Jack : Torchwood. Outside the government, beyond the police. Fighting for the future on behalf of the human race. The 21st century is when everything changes. And Torchwood is ready.

A busy nightclub (sounds in the background : chatter, music...).

Jack : Stand back. Everybody get back.

Man : Hey ! What do you think you're playing at ?

Jack : Chasing a Weevil. Tall thing. Leather skin. Sharp teeth. Terrible dress sense.

Man : Who the hell are you ?

Jack : Captain Jack Harkness. Torchwood.

Gwen : Gwen Cooper. We catch aliens.

Ianto : Ianto Jones. We need to catch this one before...

He's interrupted by the sound of screaming.

Gwen : Over there by the fire exit, c'mon.

Jack : 'Scuse us. Mind you backs ! Come on ! Coming through !

The sounds of screaming and the growl of the weevil drown out Jack's words at the end.

Outside the club, a phone rings.

Jack : You two carry on.

Gwen : Ok.

Ianto : Come on then.

Jack (answering the phone) : Hello ?

Martha (over the phone) : Jack ?

Background noises.

Jack : Martha Jones. Suddenly outside a tacky nightclub, the voice of a nightingale.

Martha (over the phone) : Where are you ?

Jack : Oh, you know, chasing a Weevil around Cardiff Bay. It's a quiet night really.

Martha (over the phone) : Jack, I need you.

Jack : Don't tell me, you've finally seen the light and dumped that fiancé of yours. I'm on the first train to London.

Martha (over the phone) : I'm not in London. I'm in Switzerland. Have you heard of CERN ?

Jack : Home of the famous particle accelerator ? What are you doing there ?

Martha(over the phone) : There's a big thing here tomorrow. Lots of politicians, diplomats. UNIT are covering security for it.

Jack : Sounds like fun.

Martha (over the phone) : Anyway, listen. A friend of mine works here and when I arrived she told me that people were going missing and... (pause) look, Jack, something really odd's happening. My friend's disappeared. Please tell me you'll come.

Jack : You know I will.

Martha (over the phone) : Oh and don't come in all guns blazing, yeah ? Me bringing in Torchwood isn't going to make my bosses happy, but I need a fresh pair of eyes looking over things and... damn it. I've got to go, someone's coming.

She hangs up.

Jack : Martha ?

Gwen and Ianto walk back to Jack.

Jack : Where's the Weevil ?

Gwen : It's, erm, it went into the Bay.

Jack : Oh. Can Weevils swim ?

Ianto : Apparently not. Anyone for coffee ?

Jack : Right, coffee. Good idea. Then Torchwood's going to Switzerland.

Later. The trio go from Cardiff to on a plane in flight.

A female voice can be heard over the tannoy.

Flight Attendant : Ladies and Gentlemen, we should be arriving in Geneva in about 30 minutes.

Jack : Did I ever tell you about the time I flew from Venus to Mars ? You should have seen that flight crew. All those hands. All those pincers...

Gwen : Yes, thank you Jack. Anyway, I found out a few things about this particle physics lab. Over ten thousand people work there from a hundred different countries.

Jack : Martha said people were disappearing.

Gwen : Well, I certainly couldn't find any official record of any accidents or people disappearing. Just a load of scientists working on something called the LHC ?

Jack : The Large Hadron Collider. A thing of beauty. (Laughs). I love what they're doing. Pushing the boundaries of human knowledge.

Ianto : So what exactly are they trying to do with this Collider thing ?

Jack : They're looking for the Higgs particle.

Gwen : The what ?

Jack : The fundamental particle of existence. Look out the window. See those clouds ?

Gwen : Yeah ?

Jack : Well, what do they look like ?

Ianto : Candy floss

Jack : They look solid though, yeah ? But they're not.

Gwen : Yes, thank you Jack, we all know what clouds are made of.

Jack : Well imagine you had a huge digital camera and you could zoom in, right into the clouds so you could see the individual raindrops. Then zoom in further and you see the raindrops are made of molecules, H2O. Then zoom in further and see what Hydrogen is made of, one proton and one electron. And zoom into the proton and that's where it gets interesting. At CERN, they've found a way to look at those particles. To the very building blocks of matter. Of the universe. Of everything.

Ianto : They've got a really big camera.

Jack : Not exactly. They've built the world's biggest particle collider. It goes through Switzerland and France, deep underground. It's in a circular tunnel 27km round. They're going to send protons around it at the speed of light, smash them into each other and boom ! (Laughs). Kinda like the Big Bang.

Gwen : That's impressive. So why would they want to make anyone disappear ?

Music.

Jack : I don't know. Maybe those found out something and had to be removed. This proton smashing isn't trivial stuff. Some people think it could open a gateway to a parallel dimension. Or create a black hole. Or even turn the world inside out.

Gwen : What ?

Jack : Hey, hey, hey don't look so worried. It's only a theory. Everything's gonna be fine. And Martha's got us front row tickets.

The plane lands. The team arrive and are met by Martha.

Jack : Get ready for the biggest hug of your life, Dr Jones.

Jack and Martha laugh.

Martha : Jack. It is so good to see you. Gwen. Ianto. How are you ?

Gwen : We're doing ok, thanks.

Ianto : Nice to see you, Martha. How have you been ? Since the... funeral ?

Martha : I've been ok, thanks. Working over here mostly.

Jack : So. Tell us. What's going on ?

Martha : Right. This mate of mine, Julia Swales, well she works here as a doctor and a few weeks ago she noticed that people were being taken ill with symptoms no-one could really understand. So because nobody here could do anything, the patients were sent to some specialist hospital across the border in France, which all makes sense. Except when Julia contacted the hospital, she found that they never arrived. They've vanished, all 11 of them. Julia was worried and, as soon as I got here with the rest of the UNIT medical team, she told me about it.

Jack : Clever Julia.

Martha : Clever Julia who's now gone missing as well.

Gwen : Why didn't UNIT investigate ?

Martha : They did. But couldn't find any evidence of anything wrong. And once Julia vanished, I knew I needed you guys. Two days ago, another worker fell ill. He's still in the Sickbay. I want you to take a look at him.

Jack : And you can get us in there ? Without UNIT security guys being alerted ?

Martha : They're rushed off their feet. The Large Hadron Collider's being activated today so they've got loads of dignitaries and ambassadors here. And right now, there's a reception being held for them.

Jack : Oh, ho, ho. A reception for the ambassadors. An ambassadors' reception.

Martha : Yes, Jack.

Ianto : Excelente.

Inside the compound.

Guard : Security passes please.

Martha : Here's mine. And this is Mr Ianto Jones. You should have him on your list.

Guard : Mr Ianto Jones... Ah. The Ambassador for Wales ?

Ianto : Oh. Hello. That's me.

Jack : What ?

Martha : And this is his wife, Gwen.

Gwen : Hi.

Martha : And their personal assistant. Mr Harkness.

Jack : Huh.

Guard : Sir et Madame, here are our passes.

Ianto : Thank you. Darling, shall we go in ?

Gwen : Darling, it would be a pleasure.

Guard : And here's one for you.

Jack : Yeah, whatever.

Martha : Well, if you'd like to follow me Ambassador. Oh, and before I forget, here's an entry pack. It's got a map, an itinerary and stuff. We'd really hate for you to get lost down there.

Ianto : Mademoiselle, with these maps you are really spoiling us.

Martha : Just get in the lift. (Lift doors close). Going down.

Music.

Gwen : Ooh. Oh, my ears just popped. How much further down is it ?

Martha : It's about 100m altogether.

Ianto : Will our Bluetooths work down there ?

Martha : Should do. Give it a try now.

Jack : Jack calling Gwen. Ianto.

Gwen : Yep.

Ianto : Loud and clear.

The lift stops.

Martha : We're there. Undercover, Jack. Remember ?

Jack : Sure.

Martha : It's like an underground city down here. Research labs, offices. The control room's on this side. And that is "Atlas", the biggest of the particle detectors.

Gwen : Oh, wow.

Jack : Impressive.

Ianto : It's like a jet engine.

Gwen : The size of the London Eye.

Martha : And behind that is the entrance to the tunnel.

Jack : That's where the LHC is ?

Professor : The Large Hadron Collider, that's quite correct. It's the tube that the proton beams will be fired through. Welcome. Professor Katrina Johnson, head of the LHC Project. And you are ?

Jack : Jack Harkness.

Ianto : My personal assistant. Ianto Jones, Ambassador for Wales. This is my wife, Gwen.

Prof. Johnson : Well, it's good to have you here.

Gwen : This must be a very exciting day for you.

Prof. Johnson : Nothing could be more important. I've been working all my professional life towards this moment. Today we could unlock the secrets of dark matter. What we're about to do could change our understanding of the universe.

Jack : How long till the Collider's activated ?

Prof Johnson : Oh, the countdown's already started. In facts, Dr Jones, perhaps you'd like to take these guests to the viewing area ?

Martha : Yes, of course.

Prof Johnson : Now, if you'll excuse me.

She walks away.

Martha : Ambassador, if you'd like to come with me.

Ianto : Thank you, Dr Jones.

Martha : Right, Sickbay's just down this corridor.

They enter the sickbay.

Man : Oh, hello Martha. I was wondering where you'd got to.

Martha : I've been roped into showing visitors around. Ambassador, this is Dr Oliver Harrington, head of UNIT's medical team, and my boss.

Jack : Nice to meet you Doctor.

Ianto : Looks like you've got some very impressive equipment there.

Dr Harrington : Well, we're not exactly in a ordinary situation. Cut off from the outside world in an little underground base.

Ianto : I know the feeling.

Dr Harrington : Oh, I mean it's quite an honor being here. There's not many get the chance to work alongside the world's brightest scientists.

Gwen : Dr Harrington, when they activate the LHC could there be side affects ? Could the health of the people working here be affected ?

Dr Harrington : Oh, not at all. No, no. We've checked and double-checked everything so no. Not expecting any problems at all. Today, you're more likely to injure yourself slipping on an vol-au-vent.

Gwen : That's reassuring.

Dr Harrington : Well, if you'll excuse me, I'm representing UNIT's medical team so I really should be getting along to the control room. I'm sure Dr Jones will take good care of you.

His voice trails as he leaves the sickbay.

Jack : Handsome guy. Sad eyes though.

Martha : His wife died last year. Now he just works all the time. Guess he's blocking out the pain.

Jack : Ok, Martha Jones, let's take a look at your patient.

Martha : Yeah, he's in intensive care. It's this way.

Short Music.

Ianto : Who is he ?

We hear the beep of machines.

Martha : His name's Leon Foiret, a technician. He was working in the tunnel when... something happened. His Bluetooth was switched on. They heard him screaming.

Jack : I can't see any obvious injuries, no attack marks.

Martha : He's in a deep coma. Won't respond to anything. Well, nothing we've got anyway.

Gwen : Ok. Well, let's try a Bekeran deep tissue scan.

Noise of the machines.

Martha : That's brilliant. I've never seen an x-ray like it.

Gwen : Owen was working on adapting it before he... (Continues to scan). The readings don't make any sense.

Jack : What the hell is that ?

Gwen : Oh.

Ianto : Look at his skin.

Martha : It's... glowing.

Gwen : Well, you can see right through it.

Ianto : That is disgusting.

Leon starts to gasp for breath.

Martha : Right, everyone stand back. Come on, Leon. Stay with me. Leon, can you hear me ? Leon ?

Leon (in an eerie voice) : Your life is our life.

Gwen : What... what is he saying ?

Leon continues to gasp for breath.

Martha : Ok, Leon. We're going to help you.

Leon : Don't... taken for... don't.

Martha : Ok, shh, shh, shh. I'm giving you something for the pain, shh.

Leon's breathing comes back under control. End of the noise. Except for the beep.

Gwen : It looks like he's stable again.

Martha : I have never seen anything like this.

Ianto : Do you think this is what's been happening to the missing people ?

Jack : Leon here was in the tunnel when he got sick, yeah ? So was he exposed to something ?

Gwen : The Collider ?

Jack : Possibly. So let's find out where the other people were when they got sick. There has to be some connection between them.

Martha : I've got a list of there names. Here.

Gwen : Is there a computer we can use ? Check the facilities database, that kind of thing ?

Martha : Erm... there's the main computer room. Down the corridor, third door on the right.

Gwen : Right. Ambassador, you're with me. We're going hacking.

Ianto : Yes, Ma'am.

Jack : Don't you just love it when she gets bossy ?

Gwen and Ianto head out of the room.

Jack : Now, let's see if we can find out what's wrong with the angel Gabriel here.

Jack starts scanning Leon. Noise of the scan.

Martha : How are you Jack ? It's been a while since Owen and Tosh. Last time we talked about it.

Jack : They're dead. And I've got to stay strong for the others. I'm fine.

Martha : Fine ? I know you, Jack. I know what they meant to you. I know what they meant to me.

Scan's end.

Jack : Yep, we're getting through it. You know how death follows us. Follows me. All the times we try to cheat it but no-one escapes. Just me. Always me. I couldn't save them, Martha.

Martha : Jack, I'm so... I am so sorry.

Jack : The best thing I can do is take care of Gwen... Ianto.

Martha : Don't blame yourself. You can't. What happened to Owen and Tosh, it's not your fault.

Jack : I recruited them. Showed them a different sky and now... (clears throat). Right, back to golden boy. Let's see if we can find out what happened to him.

In the computer room.

Gwen : Ok. Let's start with Martha's mate, Julia.

Ianto : Swales, Julia.

Gwen : When did she fall ill ?

Ianto : Two days ago. Said she was transferred to a hospital in Evian les Bains.

Gwen : Had she been in the tunnel where they found Leon ?

Ianto : Umm... wait a minute, it says here that she was the one who found him.

Gwen : Janet Russo. Disappeared a week ago.

Ianto : And, yep, according to her work log, she was working on the quadropole magnets the day she collapsed, with what Dr Harrington diagnosed as "a severe migraine".

Gwen : According to what I'm seeing on here, those magnets are part of the collider. In the tunnel.

Ianto : Alain Nielsen. He was a maintenance worker... in the tunnel. Jacques Fornier, a coolants expert, collapsed after final temperature adjustments were made...

Gwen : In the tunnel. So all these people go into the tunnel, perfectly normal, and they come out complaining of migraines. But, if Leon's anything to go by, they actually...

Ianto : Lit up like a Christmas tree.

Short Music. Back in sickbay.

Martha : Jack, look at the liver composition.

Jack : What ?

Martha : I've never seen anything like it. It looks like it's losing it's density.

Jack : Weird.

Martha : All his organs are fading. It's like he's made of tissue paper or something. He's disintegrating. (Sighs). I don't believe it...

Jack : What ?

Martha : The human body's made up of atoms, right ? And every atom has a nucleus made up of protons and neutrons floating in a cloud of electrons... well that's why he's falling apart, his neutrons are missing !

Jack : But you can't just lose your neutrons, they're a part of you.

Martha : Oh, I don't think he's lost them. I think they've been taken.

Jack : Oh God.

Martha : You recognise this, don't you ?

Jack : Years ago, well years ago for me, back when I was with the Time Agency, I saw a whole colony go the same way as golden boy. Trust me, it wasn't pretty. There was this creature (exhales)... we'd better tell Gwen and Ianto.

Short Music. Back in the computer room.

Gwen : Ok, so something happened in the tunnel. But how's it linked to the Collider ? It hasn't been activated yet.

Ianto : Hang on, let me just access this... (He types) ... there was an injection test back in May, only for a few seconds, but they went live...

Jack : And I wonder what they let through. The Collider may have only been active for a few nanoseconds, but something got into the tunnel.

Martha : A creature that feeds on neutrons in the human body.

Jack : A few nanoseconds back in May were long enough to let one creature through. The full experiment today, who knows what's waiting to pay us a visit. I think it's time I had a word with Professor Johnson.

Gwen : Someone got the missing people away from the base's medics and from UNIT. Talking about 12 people. They can't disappear without someone covering it up.

Jack : Someone in charge...

Martha : Someone who knows this base inside out...

Gwen : I know what I'd do. Why risk taking them out at all ? I mean, you said it yourself, it's like a city here. Plenty of room to hide the bodies.

Ianto : I'll bring up a satellite image of this place and compare it with the site plan you gave us Martha... Here you go.

Gwen : Look. There's a small building up on the surface, to the west of the main complex. It's not marked on the site plan.

Martha : Julia could be in there. I'm gonna find out.

Jack : Ok, good luck. Gwen, Ianto, I need to get to the control room. I know how we can neutralise the creature, but we've got to locate it first, which means you going into the tunnel.

Gwen : Ok.

Ianto : On our way.

Jack : Hope you're wearing your thermals.

Music. Inside the tunnel.

Sounds of footsteps, etc...

Ianto : This is no job for the Ambassador for Wales.

Gwen : Ok. Jack, we're in the tunnel.

Jack (over comms) : What can you see ?

Gwen : Not much. It's dark.

Ianto : And cold.

Jack (over comms) : Is Ianto moaning ?

Gwen : Oh yes.

Jack (over comms) : Ok, get scanning. See if there's any trace of the creature. If you find it, call in immediately and I'll tell you what to do. Don't engage it by yourselves.

Ianto : Let's hope it doesn't want to engage us.

Jack (over comms) : Good hunting.

Gwen : I'll go this way, you go... oh... bikes ?

Ianto : It said in the information pack - this is how the workers get around down here.

Gwen : Ok... uh... ok...let's give it a go... well, I don't feel stupid at all.

Ianto : So... we ride through the tunnel, in opposite directions, and meet up in the middle.

Gwen : Yeah, nice bit of exercise.

Ianto - Yeah, just what we need.

Gwen : Be careful, yeah ?

In the control room.

Tom : Professor Johnson, we're nearly ready to begin.

Prof. Johnson : Thank you, Tom. Ladies and Gentlemen, if I could just have your attention.

Tom : Powering up.

Noises of machines.

Prof. Johnson : Firstly I want to thank you, every single one of you, for your hard work, your dedication, your... well frankly... your brilliance over the last few months. Today is a landmark in the history of science. In a few short minutes, our knowledge of the laws of physics will be propelled into a new era.

Tom : Temperature in tunnels being lowered.

A door opens.

Jack : Professor Johnson, shut it down. Shut it down now.

Prof. Johnson : What the hell is this man doing in here ?

Jack : Professor Johnson, I'm ordering you to shut down the accelerator.

Prof. Johnson : You're the Welsh ambassador's assistant, right ?

Jack : Jack Harkness. And I'm Torchwood.

Prof. Johnson : Torchwood ? And Torchwood is ?

Jack : Torchwood is here to protect Earth against the threat of alien invasion.

Prof. Johnson : Alien invasion ? Right. What are you talking about ?

Jack : Listen to me. When the Large Hadron Collider was tested back in May, something came through.

Prof. Johnson : How do you know about the test ?

Jack : A creature that feeds on the neutrons in the human body.

Prof. Johnson - And you think this why ?

Jack : Because of the 12 missing people and because of the one you've got in your sickbay has a tendency to glow in the dark.

Prof. Johnson : Missing people ? What are you talking about ? Missing people...

Jack (laughs) : Oh, oh, oh, oh, come on Professor. I can't believe anything happens here that you don't know about.

Prof. Johnson : I don't have time to listen to this madness. Status report please, Tom.

Back in the tunnel.

Martha (over comms) : Gwen ?

We hear Gwen on the bike.

Gwen : Hey Martha. What's it like up top ?

Martha (over comms) : Raining. How are things down below ?

Gwen : Erm... cold, damp, underground. I could have stayed in Cardiff.

Martha (over comms) : No trace of Jack's creature, then ?

Gwen : Nothing. How are you getting on ?

Martha (over comms) : Well it's a bit of a trek, but I'm nearly there... Gwen ? You ok ? You know... after Tosh... Owen ?

Gwen : Honestly... no. (She stops the bike). I mean, it's just the whole accepting they're gone thing, you know ? I thought the funeral service would give us all closure or whatever but erm... when I think about it or... talk to you or Jack or anyone, I get this... well I get this feeling of erm...

Martha (over comms) : Guilt ?

Gwen : Yeah, guilt. God knows what it's like for Jack. Outliving centuries of friends and lovers.

Martha (over comms) : The man who can never die.

Gwen : I can't imagine a life more... lonely.

Martha (over comms) : Gwen, I think I found the building.

Gwen : Ok. Good luck. Be careful, Martha, alright ?

On the surface in the pouring rain.

Martha : Yeah. Martha out. (Sighs). Ok. (She tries to open the door but fails). Couldn't half do with a sonic screwdriver, but... a rock will have to do. Urgh ! (She succeeds in opening the door). Oh my God, no... Julia ? (Frightened). Julia, can you hear me ?

Back inside the tunnel.

Ianto : Gwen ? Come in Gwen.

Gwen (over comms) : What is it ?

Ianto : My bike's got a bell.

He rings the bell.

Gwen (over comms) : I'm very pleased for you. (Sighs). Oh it's getting cold.

Ianto : Yeah, same here. You see anything ?

Gwen (over comms) : Nope.

Eerie voice : Ianto.

Ianto stops his bike.

Ianto : Gwen !

Gwen (over comms) : What is it ?

Ianto : I think I found something. Who's there ?

Eerie voice : The dead. The dead. We're coming back.

Ianto : You hear that ?

Gwen (over comms) : I'm on my way.

Ianto : Quick as you can, yeah ? Afternoon. So... you're the dead then ? Not an alien creature ?

Eerie voice : I was always alien to you, coffee boy. You told me I was a good doctor.

Ianto : Owen !? Is that you ?

Eerie voice : Help me, Ianto.

Ianto : Did I ever tell you I don't actually believe in ghosts ?

Eerie voice : Help us. We're lost.

Ianto : Where are you ? (Louder). Where are you ?

Eerie voice : We're in the darkness. Help us, Ianto Jones. We're starving.

Music.

In the control room.

Prof. Johnson : How long till activation, Tom ?

Tom : 12 minutes and 15 seconds.

Jack : You're making a big mistake Professor.

Prof. Johnson : Look, even if I believed all this nonsense you're talking, it just isn't possible to stop it. It's not like flicking a switch.

Gwen (over comms) : Jack ?

Jack : What is it, Gwen ?

Gwen (over comms) : Ianto's found the creature. I'm on my way back to him now.

Martha (over comms) : Jack ? It's Martha. Come in.

Jack : What is it ?

Martha (over comms) : I found the building. The one that's not on the map. The missing people are here.

Prof. Johnson : There are no missing people.

Martha (over comms) : All 12 of them. In comas, Jack. And they're glowing. They're glowing like angels. I found them, Professor Johnson !

Prof. Johnson : I don't understand. I don't know about this.

Martha (over comms) : So who put them all here and faked the hospital reports then ?

Jack : Someone who knows more about that creature in the tunnel than they should. Your test last May let something through to our world, Professor, and far worse is on it's way if you don't stop what you're doing right now.

Prof. Johnson : It's all pre-programmed. Nothing can stop it. There's nothing I can do.

Back in the tunnel.

Music. Noises.

Eerie voice : Ianto, it's me. Toshiko.

Ianto : You're in my head. That's how you're doing this. You're just particles.

Eerie voice : Help me. Please, Ianto. It's Lisa. Hold me.

Ianto : You can't be Lisa. She's gone. They're all gone.

Jack (over comms) : Ianto, can you hear me ?

Ianto : Yes, Jack ?

Jack (over comms) : Gwen's on her way. You ok ?

Ianto : Erm... yeah... no... sort of.

Jack (over comms) : Well, that helps. What's going on ?

Ianto : It's in my head Jack. The alien. Talking to me. Saying it's Owen and Tosh and Lisa.

Jack (over comms) : The dead stay dead, Ianto. They don't come back. It's just an alien, like the weevils. Trust me.

Eerie voice : Ianto Jones, you only need to listen to me. To my voice. So it's just us.

Jack (over comms) : Ianto, listen it's not...

He gets cut off.

Eerie voice : That's it. Just you and me. Ianto Jones and Lisa Hallett.

Gwen (in the distance) : Ianto, can you hear me ?

Eerie voice : Remember how we used to go...

Ianto : Stop !

Eerie voice : ...to that Greek restaurant ?

Ianto : Stop it !

Eerie voice : And that night you told me you loved me...

Ianto (shouting) : Stop it !

Gwen (in the distance) : Ianto, answer me. Where are you ?

Eerie voice : Ignore her. I'm here for you.

Gwen : I'm nearly there !

Eerie voice : I've always been there for you.

Gwen : Hold on !

Eerie voice : Come closer. Come to me.

Ianto (screaming) : No !

Music.

In the secret building.

Martha : Hold on, Julia. Just hold on. Jack, what's happening ?

Jack (over comms) : Gwen and Ianto have found the creature. Professor Johnson says she can't shut the Collider down.

Martha : Well make her.

Jack (over comms) : Whoa. Never thought of that. Just look after your patients, Dr Jones. Leave the Professor to me.

The door opens.

Martha : Oh, Oliver. Thank God. Listen, something's happening...

Dr Harrington : Martha... you shouldn't be in here.

He pulls out a gun.

Martha : Oh my god. It's you. You had the authority... your UNIT credentials.

Dr Harrington : Please don't cry to resist (Martha cries out). Because I really don't want to have to start shooting people.

Back inside the tunnel.

Noises.

Gwen : Ianto. Ianto, oh god, can you hear me, sweetheart ?

Ianto : Lisa ?

Gwen : No, it's me. Gwen. C'mon. Hold on.

Eerie voice : We'll be back for you, Gwen Cooper. So much death in your short life.

Gwen : So not listening... Ianto ?

Ianto : Gwen ? Let me go.

Gwen : What ? What are you talking about, Ianto ? Come on.

Ianto : You don't understand. They need our help. Let me go to Lisa. To Tosh.

Gwen : Come on ! I am not leaving you here. (She struggles to pick him up). Come on.

Ianto : I want to be with them ! I just want them back again.

In the control room.

Jack : Listen to me. I'm Torchwood, you lot are scientists. You're here searching for answers, well I know the answers. If you fire up the Collider now, all hell is gonna break loose.

Noises of machines...

Prof. Johnson : You're serious, aren't you ? Ok, I don't know what's going on here, but something is, so until we can sort this out, safety procedures. We need to prepare for a total lockdown. Listen everyone, I want you to step away from the controls.

Jack : Right, you're firing two beams of protons at each other, yeah ?

Prof. Johnson : That's right.

Jack : Didn't this place used to have an anti proton beam facility ?

Prof. Johnson : We won the Nobel Prize for it in the Eighties.

Jack : Oh, I'm pleased for you. Do you still have the facility ?

Prof. Johnson : We use it for making atoms of anti-matter... of course ! If I can flip the polarity of the magnets and replace one of the proton beams with anti-protons...

Jack : They'll cancel each other out and the portal can't open and we can all live happily ever after.

Prof. Johnson : That's brilliant !

Jack : That's me.

The door opens.

Dr Harrington : Move away from there !

Martha : Jack.

Jack : Martha. Dr Harrington.

Dr Harrington : Get away from the controls or I'll shoot her !

Jack : Ok ! Oliver, just put the gun down.

Dr Harrington : I said stand back !

Music.

In the tunnel.

Gwen strains as she tries to move Ianto.

Gwen : Come on Ianto... Come on !

Eerie voice : Gwen Cooper...

Gwen : Not. Listening !

Eerie voice : Is Ianto an angel yet ?

Gwen (still struggling with Ianto) : Ianto... wake up ! (She activates her comm). Jack ? Come in.

Jack (over comms) : Not a good time, Gwen. I've got company.

Gwen : It attacked Ianto. He's glowing, he's getting worse, it's coming back for me.

Jack (over comms) : Are you near an exit ?

Gwen : Y-yes. I can see it. We're nearly there.

Jack (over comms) : Gwen, I'm gonna have to go. Get out of the tunnel.

Gwen : What if we don't make it ?

Jack (over comms) : Too much talk of death around here, Gwen. I'm not losing you. Now fight. Get out of there. You stay alive.

Gwen : Jack ? Jack ?

Eerie voice : Jack doesn't care about the dead.

Gwen : Oh you really don't wanna mess with me right now.

Short Music.

In the control room.

Noises of machines.

Jack : Oliver, listen to me. Killing Martha won't achieve anything.

Dr Harrington : It won't matter if I do. She'll come back. Don't you understand ?

Jack : Back in May, after the test, you heard a voice. Yeah ? Who's voice was it ?

Dr Harrington : My wife. She came back to me.

Prof. Johnson : That isn't possible.

Dr Harrington : Don't you see what you've done here ? Am I the only one who can see it ?

Prof. Johnson : What do you mean ?

Dr Harrington : You've opened a doorway. To Heaven.

Jack : No. Oliver, it's not Heaven. It's another dimension. A creature has come through and it's feeding off people. The voices are a trick to draw you to it.

Dr Harrington : You're wrong. Marie spoke to me. She told me that if I helped her she'd bring everyone back. And it's happening.

Martha : But the creature... it attacked those people.

Dr Harrington : Attacked ? Didn't you see them glowing ? They're becoming angels. That's why I had to hide them. To protect them until they were strong enough. When the portal is fully opened, the souls will be drawn back from heaven and they... and Marie... will return to life.

Martha : No ! It's their neutrons that have been taken, not their souls. Oliver, your wife's gone. She's not coming back.

Dr Harrington : And you think that's it ? That there's nothing else ?

Martha : I don't know. Honestly, I don't know. Maybe there is an afterlife. Maybe there is a Heaven, but that's not where the voice you've heard has come from.

Dr Harrington : You're wrong. I have faith.

Martha : And I respect that. But the creature's been using you. What if we're right and you're wrong ? Are you really going to sentence everyone on this planet to death ?

Dr Harrington : But they won't die.

Jack : You don't know that. You're going to risk all those lives just because a voice told you it was Marie ? Can't you see that's wrong ?

Dr Harrington : S-she told me things. Things only we knew.

Jack : Oliver, it's clever. It knows which buttons to push. These voices they're not the dead. Trust me.

Prof. Johnson : Dr Harrington, listen to me. I don't care if you think it's your wife or a ghost or whether Jack's right and it's some kind of alien. We're not taking the risk. We're neutralising the Collider now.

Dr Harrington : No ! No. I can't lose her again.

He leaves the room.

Jack : Martha go after him, don't let him near the Collider.

Martha : I'm on it !

She leaves the room.

Jack : Now, Professor, we have to reverse the polarity or those creatures will be here for good. And the first thing they're going to find... Gwen and Ianto.

In the tunnel.

Gwen : Look, we're nearly there. Just a few more feet.

Ianto : Everything we've seen. Torchwood. The wonder of the universe. And we're gonna die in a tunnel. In Switzerland.

Gwen : What did you imagine ? The Bahamas ?

Ianto : So cold. So cold.

Gwen : Shh, Ianto, listen to me. We are nearly out of here, right. Look. Look, according to the map, the exit's near the control room. That's where Jack is. And coffee. You love coffee. Coffee and Jack. Come on, please. Ianto, I can't carry you any further. Please.

Eerie voice : Don't leave me Gwen. Don't leave me in the darkness.

Gwen : Get back. Just keep back !

Eerie voice : But we're Owen. We're Tosh. We're all the dead. We want to live again.

Gwen : I'm alive. Ianto's alive and I'm not listening ! Come on, Ianto ! Please get up !

In the control room.

Noises of the machines.

Jack : Ok, stand back everyone. I can smell two beams of protons about to be launched.

Prof. Johnson : Have you got any idea what you're doing ?

Jack : Not really. Making it up as I go along. What I do best.

Prof. Johnson : Can you actually stop them ?

Jack : No. But I can try and prevent them creating their portal in time and space. And trust me, portals like that are more trouble than they're worth.

Prof. Johnson : What about Dr Harrington ?

Jack : Professor, Oliver Harrington is one short step away from destroying the world. I kinda don't care about his well-being right now.

Prof. Johnson : Ok, ok.

Jack : Right, Professor, I think I'm gonna do what you wanted. Show you the fundamental particle. The Higgs.

Prof. Johnson : The Higgs ? I'm really going to see it today ?

Jack : I guess so. If we get a move on.

Prof. Johnson : Of course ! If the protons beams won't hit each other, they'll hit the anti-proton beams instead. They won't explode. They'll create the Higgs particle. We're doing it all wrong. This way... oh my god !

Jack : By George, I think she's got it !

Prof. Johnson : The particle is life and the anti protons and protons are going to create it.

Jack : Professor Johnson, we're gonna have a baby !

Prof. Johnson : But how is it gonna stop this portal forming ?

Jack : The anti protons will do that by neutralising the protons. The Higgs particle is just a side effect. Almost an afterthought.

Prof. Johnson : We're going to create life as a side effect ? So the Higgs particle, dark matter, dark energy, all of us, everything... we're just an accident.

Jack : Guess so. (Laughs). And isn't that cool ?

Alarms sound.

Tom : Professor Johnson ?

Prof. Johnson : Yes, Tom ? What is it ?

Tom : Dr Harrington. He's activated the tunnel lockdown sequence.

Inside the tunnel.

Gwen : Ianto, come on. We're at the exit now. Come on.(She gasps). Dr Harrington !

Dr Harrington : What are you doing here ?

Gwen : Getting out of this tunnel as fast as I can. Just help me with him.

Dr Harrington : Yes... yes, alright. Just come on... there you are.

Martha : Gwen ! Stop him ! Stop Harrington !

Gwen : What ?

Dr Harrington : I'm going back into the tunnel. Don't come after me. I... I'm sorry.

Martha : Wait ! You'll die in there ! (The door closes). Oliver ! The doors are locking !

Gwen : Martha, I need to get Ianto into the warm. Now. Please.

In the control room.

Tom : Tunnel lockdown sequence complete. It's sealed up. The Collider is active... now !

Jack : Come on ! Come on ! Professor, that switch there !

Prof. Johnson : Ok... (The machines beep). Look, an anti-proton beam. We've created it.

Jack : Gwen, tell me you're clear of the tunnel.

Martha (over comms) : Jack, it's Martha. I've got Gwen and Ianto, they're safe. But Oliver's locked himself in the tunnel.

Gwen (over comms) : I couldn't stop him Jack.

Prof. Johnson : Poor man. He's going to...

Jack : It's too late.

The machines get louder.

Inside the tunnel.

Dr Harrington : Marie ? Are you there ? It's Oliver.

Eerie voice : I'm here, waiting for you, my love.

Dr Harrington : Oh. It's so good to hear your voice. We'll be together again soon, my darling. These months without you, I... I've been so lonely. All I've done is dream of you. B-but now we're going to be together again. Forever.

Eerie voice (laughs) : You humans. So often undone by love. Dreaming of it. In the void. Be ready. To embrace the dark times (Oliver cries out). We're back and we're hungry.

Dr Harrington : So it was true, what he said ? You were never really Marie ? It was all a lie.

Eerie voice : You don't need her. But we need you.

Dr Harrington : But you know things ! Things only she could know !

Eerie voice : Drawn from your fractured mind. You have given us passage. Enabled us to control and devour the minds of this world. A whole new source of energy to feed us for centuries.

Dr Harrington : F-Feed on our... our minds ?

Eerie voice : We used you, Oliver Harrington. Your weakness, your gullibility.

Dr Harrington : Oh my god. Those people.

Eerie voice : Your species. You all mean nothing to us except as food.

Dr Harrington : No, no, no, no, no. No you're wrong. We're so much more. And we're going to stop you! We die ! Together !

They both scream.

In the control room.

Tom : Professor, look. On the screen.

Prof. Johnson : The Higgs particle. It's so beautiful.

Jack : And it's inside all of us. It's life. You see ? Something good out of all this.

Prof. Johnson : Are you sure you stopped all those creatures coming through ?

Jack : Yep. And with them gone, your "angel coma" patients should be returning to normal. (Activates comm). Gwen ? Gwen are you there ?

Gwen (over comms) : Yep... yeah. Freezing like a... whatever and Ianto's stopped glowing. Jack, he looks like he's going to be okay.

Jack : We'll come and get you.

Gwen (over comms) : Thank you.

Prof. Johnson : Yes, thank you. For everything.

Outside.

Sometime later.

Gwen : I dragged you all that way and you don't remember ?

Ianto : Nope. Can't remember a thing. But Gwen ?

Gwen : Yeah ?

Ianto : Thank you.

Gwen : It's ok.

Martha : Here he is, hero of the hour.

Jack : Doctor Jones. How's your mate Julia ?

Martha : She's fine. You know what ? They're all fine. Guess I just need to let HQ know about Oliver.

Ianto : The stream will cease to flow. The wind will cease to blow. The clouds will cease to fleet. The heart will cease to beat.

Jack : For all things must die. Never saw you as a Tennyson man, Ianto.

Ianto : We all have hidden depths.

Jack : You 21st century humans with your science, your beliefs and your poetry and... oh yeah... you're pretty great.

Gwen : You say all these things. The human race has to be ready. What do you know Jack ?

Jack : I know you're worth fighting for.

Ianto : No. Not good enough. Why us ? Why do they keep coming to us ?

Jack : Because you're special. You never stop searching for answers. Sometimes I don't think you know what the questions are but you never stop searching.

Gwen : Questions of life and death.

Martha : Yeah.

Jack : Somewhere out there in that chaos of darkness and light, of science and protons, of gods and stars and death. Somewhere there's an answer. And sometimes I think just asking the question... is the answer. And sometimes I think I just... need a coffee. (Laugh).Come on, let's go home.

Laugh.

End credits