Name:
Austin Pierce
Species:
Human
Place of Origin:
Job:
General
Lieutenant General
Affiliated With:
US Army
UNIT
First Appearance:
Other Appearances:
Children of Earth Day Three
Children of Earth Day Four
Children of Earth Day Five
Homo Aqua
Plastic Apocalypse
The Deep
The Witch of the Waterfall
Vworp Around the World
Kate Lethbridge-Stewart webcast
Colonel Christofer Ibrahim webcast
Barclay Pierre-Dupont webcast
Salt and Homo Aqua webcast
Main Actor:
Colin McFarlane
coming soon
General Austin Pierce was a senior US Army officer in 2009. (Children of Earth Day Four, Children of Earth Day Five) He later became Head of UNIT Field Operations by the 2020s. (“Vworp Around the World: Phase 2 Mission #GP0511-P1 • Gold Protocol • All Hands”)
THE 456
In September 2009, when the 456 came to Earth, Britain took control over the matter. Lieutenant General Pierce led a United States delegation to Downing Street on behalf of the US President, and was asked to convey the President’s “absolute fury” to the British Prime Minister, Brian Green. Fellow US Army officers Turner and Jackson were part of the US delegation, and served as Pierce’s aides. In addition, UNIT colonel Augustus Oduya joined Pierce at Downing Street.
Pierce showed he wasn’t happy with the situation. He noted the planned nature of the 456’s arrival in Thames House, and reminded the Prime Minister that he was in breach of the statutes of the United Nations. Pierce took part in negotiations with the newly arrived 456, and reluctantly accepted Green’s suggestion of using civil servant John Frobisher as a ‘middle-man’. (Children of Earth Day Three, Torchwood: The Encyclopedia) Pierce witnessed a child hooked up to the 456 ambassador, and was furious upon finding out that Britain had attempted to cover up previous dealings with the 56 in 1965. Seeing the British government as responsible for the problem, Pierce took over the operation of handing over ten percent of the world’s children to the 456. (Children of Earth Day Four)
On the fifth day of the crisis, Pierce took command of British Army operations in isolating selected primary schools, and declared that any soldier who rebelled would have made their own family liable. He presided over the Prime Minister’s speech announcing the faux inoculation programme. Under Pierce’s command, up to eighty percent of the demanded children had been collected at the designated rendezvous points. However, troops withdrew upon witnessing the children collectively scream, being used as a constructive wave by Jack Harkness with Steven Carter at its centre. The wave hurt the 456 ambassador, forcing it to withdraw.
Following the conclusion of the crisis, Pierce left Downing Street and saluted Prime Minister Brian Green. Green later considered Pierce’s taking charge as “lucky”, stating that as he took charge without United Nations ratification, the British government could blame America for the events of the crisis. (Children of Earth Day Five)
LATER CAREER
By the 2020s, Pierce had been promoted to general and was serving as head of UNIT Field Operations.(“Vworp Around the World: Phase 2 Mission #GP0511-P1 • Gold Protocol • All Hands”)
Pierce commanded the mission to recover a Sea Devil killed by fishermen on the island of Dragonera, deciding that UNIT would refer to them as “Homo Aqua” from the on as they were better than the superstition that had informed their previous name. After Homo Aqua killed two soldiers and seized the body, Pierce tried to negotiate for peace via translation. However, the Homo Aqua revealed they were all going to communicate with humanity.
After Aquakind revealed themselves around the world, Pierce was in the negotiation room in Imperial House in London. (Homo Aqua)
During the escalation of tensions between humanity and Aquakind, Pierce remained a key UNIT representative during diplomatic efforts in London. He was present at Imperial House as negotiations with Salt and the Homo Aqua leadership continued, attempting to prevent further loss of life as Aquakind’s grievances over ocean pollution intensified. When Salt initiated a global retaliation by drawing plastic waste from the seas and waterways and releasing it across major population centres, Pierce coordinated UNIT’s immediate response as the situation shifted from diplomacy towards open conflict. (Plastic Apocalypse)
As hostilities deepened, Pierce took part in a UNIT-led operation to continue talks at a strategic Homo Aqua site beneath the ocean. Accompanied by UNIT personnel and diplomats including Barclay Pierre-Dupont, Min Tso, Captain Louise Mackie and Ted Campbell, he entered an underwater cavern believed to be central to Aquakind activity.
During the mission, Ted secretly presented Salt with a bomb disguised as a diplomatic gift in the form of a globe of planet Earth. The device detonated shortly afterwards, triggering a catastrophic explosion that killed Pierce and several members of the UNIT team. (The Deep)
Following the operation, Pierce was commemorated among UNIT personnel killed. Kate Lethbridge-Stewart later stood at the memorial honouring the fallen, which included Pierce. (The Witch of the Waterfall)