Alien on the Doorstep

Sky uses her powers in the canon-equivalent episode.

"Alien on the Doorstep" is the first storyline, excepting the prologue, of *Song of the Wolf*. As such, it marks the introduction of several important characters, including Rose Tyler, Sky Tyler, Jackie Tyler, and The Shopkeeper.

## Synopsis

When Rose wakes up to find an baby on her doorstep, she is thrust into a world beyond her imagining as two alien races vie for possession of the child.

## Plot Summary

### Part I

It is early on a Sunday morning when Rose Tyler wakes up to the sound of knocking at her door. When she opens it, she finds a baby carrier sitting outside of her door. She brings the child inside, intending to call the police, but is startled to find that the baby's crying causes damage to the electronics. There is a note pinned to the baby's blanket which reads, "Protect her."

Rose debates the idea of calling the police or enlisting a neighbor's help. However, she is worried that the baby will be subject to testing and experimentation is anyone else finds out about its abilities. As she considers this, she does her best to keep the baby calm and happy. After a few minutes, the baby's giggling causes the television to turn on at full volume. This irritates Rose's neighbors, but she turns down the volume and watches a news report about a strange meteor that had been spotted over Brixton. Rose realizes that the meteor and the baby may be connected, and theorizes that the baby may be an alien. Rose then names the baby Sky and wonders what she is going to do.

Rose tries to find food for baby Sky, and ends up feeding her applesauce. She then changes out of her pajamas. When she returns to the living room, she hears heavy footsteps and sees the front door open with no one there. The presence of large, muddy footprints convinces Rose that there is someone invisible entering her house. The presence then turns visible, revealing itself to be a metal man. Rose screams and the chapter ends on a cliffhanger.

### Part II

Rose, fearing that the metal man has come to hurt Sky, grabs the baby carrier and flees.

As she runs, the metal man fires lasers at her. Rose makes it out of the building, where a woman in a fur coat tells her to get into a car. Rose does so and they drive away, escaping the metal man for the time being. However, Rose quickly realizes that this woman may not be the savior she first appeared, as she speaks dismissively towards Rose and seems to regard Sky as an object rather than a living baby. From this woman, who introduces herself as Miss Myers, Rose learns that Sky is a weapon intended to destroy the Metalkind. Miss Myers, who is of the Fleshkind, needs to take Sky to a nuclear power plant to prime her and ensure that she is ready to wipe out the Metalkind.

Rose becomes irate when she hears this. She shouts at Miss Myers, causing Sky to wake up and start crying. This causes the car to go haywire: the steering wheel locks up, the alarm starts blaring, and the windshield wipers move so fast that one of them detaches and flies off. Miss Myers stops the car and Rose gets out, taking Sky with her. She attempts to run but has to stop when she sees the Metalkind (which is invisible, but leaving footprints) in her path. The Metalkind turns visible and Miss Myers accuses Rose of dooming them all, as the child is unprimed and thus cannot stop the Metalkind.

Sky begins to glow and seemingly vanishes from Rose's hands. Rose steps back in shock and, as the glow fades, a preteen girl takes its place. Miss Myers declares that the child is priming itself, and Rose recognizes that this child is an older version of Sky. The Metalkind reacts with horror while Miss Myers is delighted. Rose grabs Sky's hand and runs, hoping to escape while both are distracted, but quickly finds herself unable to move as a blue tink fills her vision. She tells Sky to run, but Sky refuses to leave without her.

Miss Myers, controlling Rose through electronic impulses in the brain, stops her from moving or talking to Sky. She then tells Sky to come with her, as Miss Myers is her mother and it is Sky's destiny to destroy the Metalkind. Although Sky initially considers it, she then refuses to go with her, choosing to remain with Rose. Miss Myers grows angry and insists that Sky does not have a choice. However, before Sky can respond, the Metalkind breaks Miss Myers's neck from behind and tosses her aside.

The Metalkind man advances to attack Sky, intending to do his utmost to take her out even though it almost certainly means his own death. However, Rose convinces him to leave her alone, on the condition that Sky will never leave Earth or become a threat to the Metalkind. The Metalkind accepts this and leaves, using Miss Myers's necklace as a teleport. Sky collapses, but seems to be okay, and Rose tells her that they are now safe.

## Continuity

### In-Universe References

* Rose has "never been one for church."
* Jackie Tyler often works on Sundays. She is gone from the house before 6:55 am and the shop does not open until 8.
* Cousin Mo had a baby recently, a boy who was about four or five months old when Rose last saw him.
* The Tylers' next door neighbor's name is Mrs Pye.
* Brixton is only twenty minutes from the Powell Estate by car.
* Jackie's friend Suzie has been "very into the whole canning thing" for several years, and often gives gifts of homemade jam on Christmas and birthdays. In 1999, one of these gifts included a jar of applesauce.

### Divergence from Canon

* Baby Sky is left outside of Rose's flat, rather than on Sarah Jane Smith's doorstep. This leads to her being adopted as a Tyler rather than a Smith.
* This event takes place in 1999, rather than 2011.
* Miss Myers never reaches the power plant, as she is able to follow the Metalkind to Sky rather than having to track the power surges. Later, Sky's abilities cause her to stop the car, thus preventing her from reaching the power station with Sky and Rose.
* Because Miss Myers never reaches the power station, she drives a stolen red sedan rather than a white electrician's van.
* Miss Myers is unable to trick the Metalkind man into summoning the rest of his species, as Sky never lashes out with her powers and causes him to become confused. The incident is resolved more quickly, with the Metalkind killing Miss Myers and agreeing to leave Sky alone.
* Due to the changed ending, Sky is never disarmed. Her powers are simply 'dormant' until she encounters the Metalkind again, at which point she will once more become a bomb.