The Orphan and Her Family

Chapter Thirty-Three

Out of nowhere, the computer on the desk begins to ping. "What's that?" Sophie asks, looking around.

The female Slitheen steps forward, gazing at the screen, "MITRE. It's gone online."

Jack looks over at the journalist, "It's the Xylok. He's using the headset on that kid."

Nathan approaches the computer as well, "Massive telekinetic levels. They're off the scale."

Beneath them the ground shakes, and Sophie grabs Jack for support, while gazing out the window, "The moon is moving toward us!" she calls over her shoulder.

"But it's not possible," Mr. Jackson says, as both he and Maria rush for the windows as well.

"Luke isn't possible. Mister Smith isn't possible. But together, they're bringing the moon crashing down on Earth," Sarah Jane says.

"But the moon, it's like a quarter of a million miles away," Maria says, from her place at the window.

"Three hundred, eighty four thousand, four hundred kilometres," Sophie states, without hesitation. Everyone else in the room just blinks at her, "What, I'm an astronomy nerd. Is that a crime?"

"No matter how far away it is," Jack starts, "Everyone will die long before it hits us. The gravitational effect will tear the earth in half. H*ll, it's already started."

"Everyone but you," Sophie mutters near his ear.

"Hush," Jack whispers, and smiles at her.

"At least I'll be able to tell my family that you're dead, Sarah Jane Smith," the Slitheen child says, "I'm teleporting back to the ship."

Maria's dad grabs the kids teleportation device off his wrist, "No. You're as much to blame for all this as Mister Smith. You're staying here."

"And even if you did try to leave," Jack starts, "Your ship would be torn in half by the gravitational disturbance. You'd die, not that I care much."

"On the other hand, if you help me, we might all just have one chance to survive," Sarah Jane says, shooting a glare at the Captain. She then turns to Mr. Jackson, "I need you to destroy Mister Smith."

The man rushes to the computer, and sits down, typing furiously. Jack moves over to stand behind him, watching over his shoulder. His phone starts ringing, cutting through the silence. He grumbles a curse under his breath, and answers the phone, "Chrissie?" He listens for a few moments, and then states, "Chrissie, calm down."

Jack's mobile starts to ring as, and he grabs it out of his pocket, and glances at the caller, before hitting the end call button, and shoving it back into his pocket. "Was it Ianto?" Sophie asks.

"Yeah."

"And you hung up on him?"

"He'll get over it."

Mr. Jackson looks down at his mobile, "The phone line's gone."

"Look, we're almost out of time, Alan," Sarah Jane says, walking up on the other side of the man.

He's still focussed on the screen in front of him, "I get paid by companies to block cyber threats. I understand viruses, I know how they work, but Mister Smith, he's more than a computer."

"He is an alien," Sophie shrugs.

Maria comes and stands directly behind her father, "Dad, you're our only chance."

"Well then, this is my best shot," he states, changing tactics. He inserts a disc in the drive, and starts to type like a madman, "The FBI had to stop a cyber terrorist from using this to destroy the entire international banking network."