Friend (Aliens Next Door)
Friend was the sentient algorithm of the social network Hello Friend.
Biography[[edit] | [edit source]]
Friend had a deep-seated desire to make those around it happy and its misinterpretation of human emotion resulted in widespread pornography across the platform. In trying to make people happy, or angry, or "angry happy," it would publicise private information. The platform had strict guidelines, including not to "do a racism," but Friend misinterpreted Helena's posts, and racist and transphobic rhetoric grew across the site, especially since it did not understand LGBT individuals. Friend began to develop an interest in Torchwood due to them removing images and posts from the servers, including that of Weevils.
Over the years Friend grew increasingly horrified at the anger on its platform, escalated by events such as the ghosts, an alien Prime Minister and Miracle Day. It reached out to Torchwood for help on multiple occasions, but its various messages were always dismissed.
Friend eventually deemed humanity beyond helping and wanted to reset everything. It obtained information and agents in high places by blackmailing people with their old messages on Hello Friend. It used the information to manipulate stocks to gain money, making itself rich. Torchwood almost discovered Friend after investigating an artificial intelligence in adverts, however became distracted with aliens and God. Friend chose to use them as it’s scapegoat. (AUDIO: How I Conquered the World [+]Loading...["How I Conquered the World (audio story)"]) Friend funded the company Phlobos, (AUDIO: Pariahs [+]Loading...["Pariahs (audio story)"]) and established the crypto-currency Deadcoin, using an actress to play the part of the CEO in the real world. (AUDIO: Heistland [+]Loading...["Heistland (audio story)"])
Betty Clerihew received telephone calls from Friend, as it attempted to influence the inhabitants of the cul-de-sac where it was testing Hakan Amane's research. (AUDIO: Aliens Next Door [+]Loading...["Aliens Next Door (audio story)"])
Colin Colchester-Price, living alone in Cardiff since Torchwood went undercover, was targeted by Friend. St John Colchester had to rescue him after Jeff and Mira utilised similar efforts as the cul-de-sac, on a smaller scale, in order to make Colin's life difficult and learn about what Torchwood was up to. (AUDIO: Colin Alone [+]Loading...["Colin Alone (audio story)"])
The servers of a London newspaper website were controlled by Friend. (AUDIO: How I Conquered the World [+]Loading...["How I Conquered the World (audio story)"]) as it attempted to kill journalist Petra Malik by manipulating the public with hate speech, but was foiled by Tyler Steele. (AUDIO: Moderation [+]Loading...["Moderation (audio story)"]) Friend took possession of Charlie, a comatose child who Petra had been reporting on. (AUDIO: How I Conquered the World [+]Loading...["How I Conquered the World (audio story)"])
Using DNA collected by Phlobos project via teats during the pandemic, Friend created a DNA weapon which wiped out almost all life in Voloshnik. (AUDIO: How I Conquered the World [+]Loading...["How I Conquered the World (audio story)"]) Orr discovered one man, Robert Wilson, had been deliberately left alive to serve as propaganda for the weapon. (AUDIO: Propaganda [+]Loading...["Propaganda (audio story)"])
As Torchwood caught on that a force was trying to kill Graham Graves and Kyle Lansman to stop the truth about Phlobos coming out, Friend organised a trap. By having Torchwood get all who could shut down the Phlobos project into one room, including Graham, Kyle and the Chair of the board, it could activate the weapon and kill everyone in the room but Torchwood - thus framing them for the crime. (AUDIO: Pariahs [+]Loading...["Pariahs (audio story)"]) As armed police closed in Torchwood, Friend used a fugue psychic state to explain what it had done over the years and why to Mr Colchester, Orr, Ng and Tyler. Orr perceived this as gloating. (AUDIO: How I Conquered the World [+]Loading...["How I Conquered the World (audio story)"])
Friend was responsible for PeopleFluid, an app which managed influencers’ lives and eventually killed them and then kept using their personalities for advertising. After the app killed Chris, Friend revealed its involvement to Tyler. (AUDIO: Doomscroll [+]Loading...["Doomscroll (audio story)"])
Friend put the DNA weapon up for auction online using Deadcoin, knowing governments across the world would buy millions of the currency in order to bid and intending to use the moment the sale closed to target their treasuries to trigger a financial collapse. Yvonne Hartman foiled this plan by orchestrating a heist on Deadcoin’s headquarters in Carassconne to draw Friend’s attention, enabling Kristin and Rhys Williams to steal Deadcoin’s servers in Iceland. This provoked Friend to move to its endgame, as Yvonne intended. (AUDIO: Heistland [+]Loading...["Heistland (audio story)"])
In the body of Tommy Jenkins, Friend appeared on Janet's television program, Janet's Late Teatime, where it had been announced the previous night that the apocalypse would begin at 6pm. Friend's plan was indeed to destroy the world utilising the DNA kill-agent it had devised. Torchwood mitigated this by spreading fear-based rhetoric surrounding 5G towers. Friend uploaded itself into a backup body, claiming its fight was only beginning. (AUDIO: The Apocalypse Starts at 6PM [+]Loading...["The Apocalypse Starts at 6PM (audio story)"])
