Diary of Alice Guppy (short story)
- You may be looking for the in-universe diary.
Diary of Alice Guppy was a short story exclusively published on the Series 2 version of the Torchwood website in March 2008 as a tie-in to the television story Fragments [+]Loading...["Fragments (TV story)"]. It depicts in-universe diary entries from Torchwood recruit Alice Guppy from September 1898, and functioned as part of the Torchwood Mission Game.
Two versions of the short story were published on the website, an Adobe Flash SWF version, and a "low-tech" plain text version. The website was not archived by the BBC, and so can only be accessed via the Wayback Machine. Following the deprecation of Flash, the SWF version is also inaccessible in its original format.
Plot
On 13 September, Alice Guppy writes in her diary about her meeting with the Governess. She writes that she had been expecting a reprimand for wounding Miss Hailsham the day prior, but instead is given an employment contract from the Torchwood Institute. She is told that if she signs it, she would be allowed to go free. She does so, and is told to pack her bags ahead of someone called Mrs Emily Holroyd collecting her.
On 14 September, Alice writes from a lodging-house in Bath. She describes the journey to Cardiff and how her life has taken an "unexpected turn". After being collected by Emily, she is taken to a luncheon, where she is told about the purposes of her new role at Torchwood. Alice is told that she was chosen for the role of Emily's mission partner for her skills as a thief and attitude towards violence.
On 15 September, Alice writes from her new lodgings in Cardiff. She begins with a note mentioning that from this point forward, her diary shall be less comprehensive in order to protect the security of the Torchwood Institute. She describes arriving at headquarters of Torchwood Cardiff for the first time, and writes of her fascination with Emily. She ends with her anticipation for going on patrol tomorrow night.
Characters
Referenced only
Worldbuilding
- Alice was recruited by Emily Holroyd based on her abilities as a thief and her attitude towards violence.
- Alice wounded Miss Hailsham in the laundry-room on 12 September.
- Alice stayed in a lodging-house in Bath while travelling to Cardiff.
- Emily has a husband. She is reluctant to talk about him and describes her situation as "complex".
- Alice's predecessor was burned to death by Emily after he caught a "mutative infection" and metamorphosed into the new Queen of a "snake-like race".
- Alice went out on her first patrol on the night of 16 September.
- Alice's diary becomes "less comprehensive" as her experiences at Torchwood could, if recorded, compromise the security of the institute.
Continuity
- This story serves as a prequel to Jack's 1899 flashback seen in TV: Fragments [+]Loading...["Fragments (TV story)"], providing a background on how Alice joined Torchwood.
- Alice writes that she enjoys the company of Emily, and finds her fascinating. In TV: Fragments [+]Loading...["Fragments (TV story)"] and PROSE: The Baby Farmers [+]Loading...["The Baby Farmers (short story)"] they are in a relationship.
- Emily describes how Cardiff is "beset by strange Creatures", referring to the Cardiff Space-Time Rift first seen in TV: The Unquiet Dead [+]Loading...["The Unquiet Dead (TV story)"], and that Torchwood is "tasked with protecting the Empire from such dangers" after its founding in TV: Tooth and Claw [+]Loading...["Tooth and Claw (TV story)"].
External links
- Diary of Alice Guppy at Torchwood via the Wayback Machine
- Diary of Alice Guppy - Non-Flash version at Torchwood via the Wayback Machine
