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H.C. Clements was a company in the field of security systems. They had an office in central London. H.C. Clements was secretly owned by the Torchwood Institute. Lance Bennett worked there as head of Human Resources and his fiancée, Donna Noble, was temporarily employed there as a secretary. (TV: The Runaway Bride)
History
According to the company website, H.C. Clements was founded by Horatio Calvin Clements in 1881. Early clients included the Royal Family and the Bank of England.
By 2007, the company had offices around the globe, in countries including the USA, China, India, Australia, Canada, Norway, Finland, Russia, New Zealand, South America and Africa. (TV: The Runaway Bride)
In June 2007, Donna had the choice of working as a full-time secretary for Jival Chowdry, who owned Capital Copies Ltd, or as a temporary secretary at H.C. Clements. (TV: Turn Left) She chose the latter and on her first day there, Lance Bennett offered her a cup of coffee. They quickly developed a romantic relationship, at least for Donna, who pressured him into marriage.
Unbeknownst to Donna, Lance had been working for the Empress of the Racnoss for at least six months. At the Empress' behest, he spiked her with Huon particles in her coffee, intending for his Huon-saturated bride to provide the energy that the Empress needed to resurrect her race.
At Donna's wedding reception, just before a Roboform Christmas tree began firing explosives at the wedding guests, the Tenth Doctor found that H.C. Clements was secretly owned by the Torchwood Institute. The Doctor asked Lance to take him and Donna to H.C. Clements, wondering who controlled the firm since Torchwood One's dissolution in the Battle of Canary Wharf. The trail led them to a secret base under the Thames, where Lance and the Empress of the Racnoss revealed their plans. The Racnoss had fashioned a large web above the pit, where the body of H.C. Clements still hung. (TV: The Runaway Bride)
Technology and security
H.C. Clements, being a security firm, had its own range of security systems. The company was owned by the Torchwood Institute, which had bought it in 1984. The Doctor discovered a basement level not on the floor plans and the three travelled to it, finding themselves in a long tunnel that led to the Thames Barrier. There, the Doctor discovered a laboratory where Huon particles had been manufactured and stored in liquid form. It was linked by tunnel to the H.C. Clements building. (TV: The Runaway Bride)
Behind the scenes
- In Russell T Davies's series Cucumber, the characters Henry, Freddie and Dean work for an insurance company called H.C. Clements. Similarly in its partner series Banana (also written by Russell), the character Scotty also works for the same company. Davies often reuses names throughout his work, however, hence this version and the one appearing in Doctor Who bear no relation beyond the name.