Nightingale: Agent of Torchwood

Ghost Machine

Nightingale and Owen ran out of a narrow street and into a wider road.

Toshiko Sato spoke to them through their earpieces, directing them toward an alien artifact. "Owen, Nightingale. Left into the alley. Righty, thirty meters,"

"What is?" Nightingale asked over comms, "What can you see?"

 "I can't get a visual. It's just a signal, definitely alien in origin. Diagonal right. Towards the castle. Jack. Sharp right, 20 meters,"

"Can you identify the target?" Jack asked over the comm.

"No, still trying to get a visual. 20 seconds contact. 15 seconds," Toshiko called out over comms.

"No heroics!" Jack ordered "We got no idea what we're dealing with,"

"10 seconds. Got it!" Toshiko exclaimed, "Got a visual; suspect's male, wearing a hoodie. Go, Nightingale!"

***

Nightingale and Owen ran through the High Street Arcade, but their quarry ducked under the security gate as it came down.

Nightingale managed to roll under, but Jack and Owen were trapped inside.

Jack turned to the security guard operating the shutter. "Come on, open it up!"

"Alright, alright," The Security officer said as the shutters began to open. 

Jack and Owen ran through as soon as they could and chased after the suspect and Nightingale.

***

The running man jumped the ticket barrier at the railway station.

"In trouble now, mate," a staff member said as he saw Nightingale running after the suspect.

The suspect ran down a tunnel in the train station. He pushed past people, and as he did so, he lost his balance slightly and slowed.

Nightingale caught up to the suspect and grabbed at his jacket, but he shrugged it off and got away. "Damn!"

"He's there, you did it!" Toshiko cheered over the comm

"I was that close..."

"No. You got it,"

Nightingale shook her head. "I've lost him, Tosh. I lost him,"

"I swear. Whatever it is, you're holding it,"

Nightingale looked at the coat and went to check the pockets.

"Let me check my..."

Nightingale pulled a small alien device out of the pocket and held it in both hands, staring at it. She pushed the central button, and the scene flickered and changed.

A steam train puffed away, and a young boy in short trousers and school uniform left the Booking Office. The boy was carrying a teddy bear by his leg, a suitcase, and a luggage label with his name on it fastened to his blazer.

"Hello?" Nightingale called out, "Who are you?"

The boy looked toward Nightingale and walked closer.

"Can you hear me?"

"I want to go home." The boy said.

Nightingale saw the name on his tag, Tom.

"No one knows who i am here. I'm lost," Tom backed slowly away from Nightingale.

"Come back. Come back,"

Tom walked away, back the way he entered. Tom faded away.

Nightingale looked down at the alien device in her hand and pressed the button. She re-appeared at the station-modern day.

Jack ran to Nightingale, closely followed by Owen. "I'm sorry, that damn gate cut us off." He noticed that Nightingale looked upset. "Gale? Are you all right?"

"I've just seen a ghost," Nightingale admitted.