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Description
int. tunnel

The elevator stops, leading out into a long tunnel (2). It's nothing special. It's long, concrete, about 12 feet high. Wires are suspended on the walls and the lights on the ceiling flicker. Evie leads him down the tunnel. They pass a few, smaller tunnels leading off the main tunnel. One tunnel looks to be under construction with silver and blue metallic tiles hung on the concrete walls. Strange tools are strewn around.

Finally, they come to a round door off to the side. The main tunnel continues on, but Evie leads him through the door. She opens it using a round medallion. It is a curious piece, but Stephan doesn't get a good look at it before she puts it away. She goes in and he follows.

int. briefing room

They step into a briefing room. There is a board with a map of London, a chalkboard hanging on the wall behind that, and chairs in no particular patter around it. There is one large table behind the chairs and a large cabinet off to one side. NORMAN "NOBS" SULLIVAN is lying on the table. Evie goes over to him and pokes him.

EVIE

Wake up. He's here.

NObs

(jumping up)

How exciting.

He sees Stephan, who is standing just inside the door.

NOBS

(disappointed; to Evie)

He's not really much to look at, is he?

STEPHAN

(drolly)

It's not a beauty contest. Captain Stephan Broom.

nobs

(shaking hands)

Nobs, I mean, Norman. Sullivan. But everyone calls me Nobs.

STEPHAN

Good to meet you, Nobs. Where is everybody else?

NOBS

Oh, we're it. Or, we're almost it. There's still the Professor, see, but he's not here.

STEPHAN

Where is he?

EVIE

We don't know.

STEPHAN

What do you mean you don't know?

NOBS

Well, we lost him, sort of.

STEPHAN

How do you lose a professor?

NOBS

Oh, it wasn't our fault, of course. He's always going off on his own, doing strange things. Research, he calls it. Sometimes it get's him in trouble, but he's good at getting out of it. I expect he'll be back any time now. I think.

STEPHAN

How long has he been lost?

EVIE

Two weeks, ever since our main hangar was hit. He was working there when the bomb hit the east corner. We found no trace of him.

STEPHAN

Did you mount a search?

EVIE

Well, yeah. He couldn't have gone far under all that rubble. We cleaned it up, but didn't find him. His marker is still active, though, so we know he's alive.

STEPHAN

What marker?

Nobs takes a medallion similar to Evie's out of his pocket. It looks like a square computer chip, crudely put together. There are two strands of hair on it, a sample of blood, and an eye symbol matching Nobs' eye color. Metal and plastic components make patterns on it, much akin to what you would find on a computer chip. There is a single round button in one corner with a green blinking light.

STEPHAN

Biological components combined with mechanical. A sort of heart monitor?

NOBS

The light corresponds to heart activity and the button can be pushed in case of distress. That will alert all Torchwood units that one of the team needs help.

STEPHAN

Ingenious. Who thought this up?

EVIE

The professor. He handles most of the gadgetry.

STEPHAN

(to Nobs)

What do you do?

NOBS

Oh, I'm a scrounger. I did the same thing for the army before I got recruited.

STEPHAN

What was your rank?

NOBS

Second lieutenant, infantry.

STEPHAN

You have combat experience, then.

NOBS

Yes, sir. We all do.

Stephan looks over at Evie.

EVIE

I was a communications officer at the War Office. A desk job. My combat experience comes from Torchwood.

STEPHAN

Does Torchwood require much of that?

EVIE

Depends on the day.

STEPHAN

Mm. Considering the fact that the Professor is still alive, I think our first mission is to find him. He can't have gone far, from what you say.

EVIE

Like we said, sir, we've already looked. He's not here.

STEPHAN

He may not be here now, but he has to be somewhere. Do you have a proximity device for these chips?

nobs

No, but I can rig one up.

STEPHAN

Get on that. Evie, I want you to take me to the main hangar.

EVIE

It's a pointless exercise.

STEPHAN

Humor me. Contact us when you've finished the device.

NOBS

Yes, sir.

STEPHAN

(holding the door for Evie)

After you.

She rolls her eyes and strides past him. He follows, shutting the door behind him.

ext. lot - later

Evie and Stephan walk across the lot to the decimated main hangar. It's been cleared up for the most part but the rubble hasn't been completely removed. Most of the foundation is intact, only the area where the bomb hit is destroyed. Stephan walks onto the foundation, inspecting it, while Evie stands off to the side, arms crossed.

STEPHAN

Can you show me where the professor would have been working?

EVIE

(pointing)

Over there.

STEPHAN

(frustrated)

Show me.

Evie sighs and walks onto the foundation. She goes over to one corner and points at the foundation.

EVIE

This is where his workstation was.

STEPHAN

What kind of station was it?

EVIE

Big work table. He had all his instruments on it.

Stephen looks at the rubble and sees a few metal instruments that look strange and painful.

STEPHAN

What was he working on?

EVIE

I don't know. The Professor keeps to himself when he works and he's very secretive.

STEPHAN

Well, we'll have to change that.

EVIE

(ruffled)

It always worked in the past.

STEPHAN

It doesn't work now, though, does it?

Stephan finds an unbroken vial of iridescent liquid. It's unmarked. He pockets it. He sees a crack in the foundation that doesn't look quite right. He kneels down beside it, running his fingers along it. He comes to a chip large enough to put his hand in. He does so, reaching under the foundation. He pulls up, revealing a tunnel going underground.

EVIE

What the hell is that?

STEPHAN

I was hoping you could tell me.

EVIE

Well, I've never seen it before.

STEPHAN

Don't get out much, do you?

He puts his legs in and sets his feet on a ladder.

STEPHAN

You coming?

EVIE

Oh, no. I'm not going down there.

STEPHAN

Scared?

EVIE

In this job, you don't do anything unless you're prepared for it. Things are dangerous.

STEPHAN

Walking across the street is dangerous, too, but you do that all the time.

EVIE

Only at crosswalks.

STEPHAN

Live a little, E.

He climbs down, disappearing into the hole. Evie sighs angrily. She watches him go. When he's been gone for a little bit, she rolls her eyes and climbs down, too.