'Children of Earth' (Part 2: 'Day Two') by John Fay

“We are coming back.” – the children of Earth

In the aftermath of the explosion inside the Torchwood Hub, Gwen stumbles through the debris of Roald Dahl Plass and encounters an emergency crew; however, as the paramedics bundle her into the back of their ambulance Gwen realises that her rescuers are in fact government agents; dodging sniper bullets she overpowers her attackers and steals their transport. Ianto also comes under attack from government agents as he pulls himself from the wreckage, and he only just manages to reach the safety of the darkened streets. After Johnson provides an update on the Torchwood attack, Frobisher receives a visit at his home from Dekker, who brings a translation of the 456 message: it contains instructions for building something… Back at the Bay, P.C. Andy Davidson overhears Johnson ordering her team to apprehend Gwen; puzzled as to why his former colleague is being called a terrorist, Andy offers to take Johnson to Gwen’s flat. Meanwhile, Gwen rushes home and wakes a sleeping Rhys with the news that they must go underground for safety; as Rhys gets dressed Gwen takes a call from Ianto, and arranges a safe location where they can meet. When Johnson and her troops pull up outside Gwen shoots out the tyres of her pursuers’ vehicle, enabling her and Rhys to make a speedy getaway. As the net tightens on Torchwood, more soldiers looking for Ianto storm Rhiannon’s home. The following morning, Alice hears a report on the news of the explosion at Roald Dahl Plass, and fears for her father’s safety. The report is also heard by Lois in the Permanent Secretary’s office; she immediately accesses the government’s information network and learns of the explosion’s connection to Torchwood. Frobisher briefs the Prime Minister on recent events, leading the P.M. to voice his concerns over just what the returning 456 are instructing them to build. Back at Cardiff Bay, Johnson oversees the excavation of the Hub as part of a head, shoulders and arm are found amongst the rubble; as Jack’s remains are loaded into a black van, Ianto watches from the safety of a nearby rooftop. Lois informs Frobisher about Jack’s offer to help, but the Permanent Secretary fobs her off, telling her that the captain was just killed in a terrorist bomb. Rhys and Gwen try withdrawing money from of a cash machine, but the transaction is detected by government operatives, who immediately close the account; with her options running out, Gwen decides to go to London to find the right people to help in their plight. Jack’s remains are taken to a top-secret, high security government facility at Ashton Down; when they begin to regrow, Johnson orders Jack’s regenerating body to be chained to the wall. Dekker shows Frobisher the work being carried out at Floor 13 of M.I.5., including the construction of a huge container – but for what? Rhys helps Gwen stow away in one of his company’s haulage trucks, and together they get a free ride to London; en route, Gwen tells her husband about their baby. With the help of a paperboy, Ianto gets a message hidden inside a newspaper to Rhiannon; while Johnny and a number of youths from the estate distract the government operatives outside, Rhiannon sneaks out of the house and meets Ianto in a playground. But as Ianto tells his sister of the attack on Torchwood the children around them suddenly stop; they now speak a new message in unison: “We are coming tomorrow…” Learning that David and Micha have also been affected, Ianto takes Rhiannon’s laptop and then drives off in her car. As the Home Office is again flooded with calls, Frobisher instructs Bridget to get his children out of school. Gwen contacts the Home Office to talk to Bridget, but instead gets Lois; Gwen arranges for a meeting with Frobisher, but when she and Rhys arrive at the café to make the rendezvous, they are instead met by Lois, who tells them of the government’s kill orders against Jack and Torchwood. Lois wants to know the truth about what is going on, and she offers to help Torchwood. Back at Ashton Down, Jack is now fully re-formed; however, his ordeal is not over, as Johnson promptly fills his cell with liquid concrete in order to contain her prisoner. Outside, Ianto watches grimly. Lois informs Gwen and Rhys of Jack’s location, and proposes a plan to get inside. Frobisher shows the Prime Minister Floor 13, explaining that although their attempts to contact the 456 have proven fruitless, they are nearing completion of an environment for the creatures to inhabit. Gwen and Rhys overpower the undertaker charged with collecting Doctor Patanjali’s corpse from Ashton Down; taking the man’s van, they gain access to the complex and knock out a guard – only to discover that Jack’s cell is completely filled with concrete. Soldiers arrive on the scene and a gunfight ensues, but Gwen is easily outnumbered; she and Rhys are about to be taken prisoner by Johnson and her men when they are saved by the timely arrival of Ianto, who drives a huge mechanical digger through the wall of Jack’s cell. As Gwen and Rhys jump aboard the vehicle, Ianto uses the digger to grab the section of concrete containing Jack’s body and beats a hasty retreat. Rhys moves the concrete mixing truck across the road behind them, and Gwen then blows up the vehicle with a well-aimed bullet, preventing Johnson and her soldiers from following. Driving the digger to a nearby quarry, Ianto drops the concrete block over a cliff, releasing Jack’s naked body, which immediately comes back to life. Reunited at last, the Torchwood team drive off to plan their next move. Meanwhile, work on Floor 13 is finally completed – and Frobisher wonders why the 456 are specifically coming to Britain…

John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness), Eve Myles (Gwen Cooper), Gareth David-Lloyd (Ianto Jones), Kai Owen (Rhys Williams), Peter Capaldi (John Frobisher), Paul Copley (Clement ‘Clem’ McDonald), Nicholas Farrell (Prime Minister Brian Green), Susan Brown (Bridget Spears), Lucy Cohu (Alice Carter), Ian Gelder (Mr Dekker), Tom Price (P.C. Andy Davidson), Cush Jumbo (Lois Habiba), Liz May Brice (Johnson), Katy Wix (Rhiannon Davies), Rhodri Lewis (Johnny Davies), Hilary Maclean (Anna Frobisher), Luke Perry (David Davies), Aimee Davies (Mica Davies), Bear McCausland (Steven Carter), Julia Joyce (Holly Frobisher), Madeline Rakic-Platt (Lily Frobisher), Gregory Ferguson (Young Clem), Simon Poland++ (456 Voice), Ashley Hunt (Recovery Worker), Osi Okerafor (Kodak), Emmanuelle Igmadaro (Paramedic), Robert Shelly (Sentry), Quill Roberts (Guard), Fay McDonald (Mother), Louise Minchi (Newsreader), Libby Liburd (Barmaid)
++Credited as “Simon Poland Poland”

Directed by Euros Lyn
Produced by Peter Bennett
Executive Producers Russell T. Davies and Julie Gardner
A BBC Wales production

TX (BBC 1):
7th July 2009 @ 9:00 pm

Notes:
*Featuring Captain Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper and Ianto Jones

*Unlike previous seasons, the episodes in Season Three have a running time of sixty minutes each, and were shown over five consectutive days

*This episode was simulcast in High Definition on the BBC's HD Channel