Profiles Henry John Parker & The Pulse

Name:  Henry John Parker

Born: 30^th August 1916

Species: Human

Episode appeared in: A Day in the Death

Monitored by Torchwood since March 1962

Enemy or Ally: Neither

Henry John Parker has been monitored by Torchwood since March 1962 when he purchased a statue carved from Alien rock form.  Although no alien life form was detected in the statue, there were traces of Larrotic energy detected by the Torchwood radial network.  The sculpture was crafted by the artist Ellis Montablis from rock sourced near Newport.  

In March 1965 Parker acquired multiple alien artefacts including Pronskite credits and Hib eating implements. 

In September 1969 Parker acquired a Grenskill decorative sonic shield.  They are deemed harmless and sold to tourists in the inter tri-spheric markets. 

In April 1972 Parker’s activities were heightened when he commissioned an anthropological dig at a beach site near Barry following advanced Rift activity on the 12^th of that month.  Torchwood intervened and reclaimed a Gualastic umbrella pod and mint-condition Bronze Age pot.  Parker was not at this dig, and all those present were duly retconned removing any acknowledgement that Torchwood had intervened.

December 1980 Parker purchased a Metamorphic Prism as a Christmas gift for his wife Emily Lorraine Parker.  The artefact was deemed safe – radiation levels 0. 

In January 1986 Torchwood was made aware of high levels of Antilositic energy at Plas Hendre, Lisvane, Cardiff, CF14 6GA.  Torchwood increased bioscans and synthetic energy dampener to suppress the flux.  Energy source moved to an underground site near Caerphilly which was monitored and repossessed by the team.  Artefact had been abandoned and was sent to Torchwood One for further analysis.

On 25^th February 1986, Parker’s wife Emily died.  She was 66 years old. 

In January 1988 security was increased dramatically at Plas Hendre.  Although Torchwood has no idea why this has happened, it is thought that after the death of his wife 2 years ago, that Parker had become a recluse, developing several obsessive compulsive disorders.

In September 1996 Parker buys a Mercurian tribal headpiece but discovers it’s not the real deal. 

In July 2000 Torchwood detect the name ‘HJP_Collector’ appear on the Torchwood eBay site placing bids for several alien artefacts  and items which claim to be from alien sources. 

In May 2004 during a residual Thermal Bioscan of Cardiff and the surrounding area, suppressed alien technology at Plas Hendre, Lisvane were detected.  There appeared no threat to life or hostile intention.  Parker’s status was deemed ‘Low Priority’.

In June 2007 Parker’s online profile became active as he moved £300,000 from an offshore bank account to an unknown source for the independent sale of an unspecified alien children’s toy.  His status was upgraded to ‘Active’ and security scans were increased.

Henry John Parker was a reclusive millionaire who was best known for developing a wireless communication capability in the 40s and had much success in the business world.  After the death of his wife in 1986 however, Parker became very withdrawn from the world, developing agoraphobia and some obsessive compulsive disorders.  Around his home at Plas Hendre, Lisvane, he employed Farrington’s top notch security outfit, to protect his property.  Parker’s health was deteriorating, after suffering 3 heart attacks and a failed heart bypass, he was hooked up to machines, leaving him bedridden, viewing the outside world from a CCTV monitor beside his bed.  

At 05:17, Toshiko detected an energy spike coming from the house which was different to anything she had seen before.  It was worth investigating.  As Owen was the only person to move with ease throughout the building, on account of his ‘living dead’ persona, he was able to detect the cause of the spike.  Parker called the shell shaped alien device, The Pulse, because of the shafts of light it radiated.  He was convinced that its properties were the reason that he was still alive, but it was later proven that willpower was keeping him alive.  Upon giving up the device, and excited about Torchwood, Parker suffered his fourth and final heart attack. 

After Parker died, Torchwood was able to gain access and remove all the alien artefacts and items in his possession.  Some were harmless such as the Dogon Eye, a pair of Myakian wings, some meteorites and an Arcateenian translation of James Herbert’s The Fog but others such as the two square objects used as book ends that were really warheads for a W’narian battle cruiser which had failed to detonate in orbit and had fallen to Earth were extremely dangerous.  Jack had written in his Archive notes that had these actually gone off, ‘his current job would be guiding tourists around the glass desert that used to be Wales’.

One of the main concerns Jack has about the reclusive Parker is – how did he know so much about Torchwood?

The Energy Pulse

Back in the 1970s when Earth began questioning whether there was life on other planets, NASA sent out messages into space, in the same ways as we sink time capsules into the ground, for people to dig up and see how life was in a time gone by.  To introduce the possibility of life on other planets, NASA sent a map of our solar system, pictures of what we look like, images, voices, music – ‘even a bit of Chuck Berry’. 

The Energy Pulse was a reply.  Although it’s as of yet unclear who sent it, but it’s not a threat.

‘It’s a glimmer of light in the darkness’.

Resources

The Torchwood Archives by Gary Russell

ISBN 978-1-846-07459-2

Torchwood The Encyclopedia by Gary Russell

ISBN 978-1-846-07764-7