Emma's Six

June 2005- Meeting Captain Jack Harkness

When I wake up to go to school one morning, Juno tells me to have a lay-in. 'What's going on?' I ask. 'Why am I not going to school?'
'We're going down to Cardiff today, and we want to make good time.'
'Why are we going to Cardiff?'
'I have a friend down there that wants to meet you.' I nod, listening to her. 'I'll get some bags for you so you can start packing.' I nod again, climb out of bed, and open my wardrobe. Juno leaves to find some bags I can use as I start taking several pairs of trousers out and fold them up. I pick out several t-shirts from my chest of drawers and fold up almost all my clothes when Juno returns. I pack them up and start choosing my books and toys. By the time Juno returns with her bags packed, I almost finished. All I must do is choose between two of my favourite biographies to take with me in the car journey.

I decide to take both books and help Juno take our bags downstairs so Howard can load the car up. A neighbour is looking after the dog, so we do not have to worry about him. We climb into the car, and I have my two books with me, and I start reading one of them.

Thankfully, the traffic does not slow our journey too much, and we reach Cardiff. Howard checks us into our hotel room, and we start settling in before exploring. We go around some of the sites of the city. Our last stop is at the Bay close to our hotel. I smile up at the Water Tower and see the water flowing down the metal object.

Then, someone catches my eye.

He is wearing a white t-shirt, a blue shirt, navy trousers held up by a belt and suspenders and a dark blue coat. His entire ensemble makes him look like he stepped out of a history book about the Second World War. He looks at me, then smiles and winks. He points further down the Bay, towards the dock, then walks in that direction. Does he want me to follow him?

I glance back; Juno and Howard are busy. They will not notice me missing for a few minutes at least. I start running in the direction the man pointed towards and slow down when I approach him. 'Did your parents ever tell you not to trust strangers?' He asks in a slight American accent. He turns to me, and I realise that he has blue eyes and messy brown hair. He holds his hand out to me. 'Captain Jack Harkness.' I shake it.
'Emma Smith-White.'
'Ah, I heard about your parents. Sarah Jane and Ruby asked me to keep an eye on you but keep at a distance.'
'They said that?' We turn to the sea and stand there for a while.

'Do you want to know why your parents left?'
'Mummy reported on an innocent company. They could not cope with a child slowing them down, so they left me behind.'
'Only the last part is true.' Jack says and turns back to me. 'The company Sarah Jane reported on was corrupt. Someone set her up. Ruby knew about that and warned me that whoever did that could come for you. That is why they left, to keep you safe and to make those following your parents think you knew nothing, which you didn't until now.'

We continue standing there for a few minutes more. 'Juno and Howard must be looking for me.'
'I already texted them, they know you're with me. You were meant to meet me anyway.'
'Was I?'
'Yeah.' Jack smiles at me. 'I want to show you Torchwood.'
'Okay.' Jack leads us down a dock to a visitor's centre obscured by the Bay There is a window in the door, but old newspapers are covering it. 'Few people come down here because it is hidden, makes it perfect for a secret base.'

We walk inside the visitor's centre. There is a small desk covered in leaflets and a computer. A noticeboard is on the wall, full of information and fun things to do in Cardiff. Next to a noticeboard is a clock, and a doorway with beads hanging down, separating the visitor's section from the staff. Jack walks behind the desk and hits a button. The door slams shut and part of the wall opposite the beaded door pulls away to reveal a corridor behind it. 'Come on, Emma, there's so much to see here!'

The corridor is made of grey bricks, and the floor seems to be made of concrete. Surely that is not the best idea if you are by the sea? But I know nothing about building, so I cannot say. The lighting is low, and I almost squint to see where I'm going. A door opens one end of the corridor. 'You go down that way,' Jack says before he walks down the stairs nearby. 'I'll see you there!' I walk into a metal room, and the door shuts behind me. I feel myself going down, and realise that I walked into a lift. Behind me, two pieces of metal move; one moves up, the other moves down. Jack is waiting for me when I step out. A giant cog is to one side, it must act as another door. I walk down the concrete steps and see a computer station. Two people are working on it; one of them is Asian with shoulder-length black hair, and she is wearing a purple top. I cannot see who the other person is from where I'm standing. I walk past the cog and the metal gates, and they shut behind me. There is a workstation, and I see someone wearing a metal mask with a window. She is also wearing a yellow coat and protective gloves.