The 456

"You yielded in the past. You shall do so again."

- 456 Ambassador to Captain Jack Harkness

The 456 (as referred to by the Human race) were a race of alien drug dealers who invaded the Earth twice: once in 1965 and once again in 2009. Although they gave no name for themselves, they referred to themselves to the name designated to them by the Human race (The 456), after the specific radiowave frequency they first contacted the Humans of 1965 with.

Biology and Anatomy
The 456 are a race that live in an environment which is poisonous to the human nervous system, with it being a compound of various well known chemicals such as cyanide, hydrogen chloride and fluoride. They are sentient beings even capable of moral ambiguity.

The natural design of their body consists of three heads, connected to one body via three long necks. They have the ability to emit a viscous yellow fluid in moments of high frustration. Attached to their anatomy is an artificial life support system, which is at times composed of one human child, wired into their bodies (they would not be on Earth if they did not have a need for more children). During the process - according to the Ambassador - the child feels no pain and lives long beyond its natural lifespan. However, it is conscious throughout the experience and has to breathe in the toxic atmosphere through a respirator. The reason for this is that the body of a human child produces certain chemicals that stimulate feelings of pleasure in the 456, much like a drug. This could imply an addiction to the pleasure human children could offer them, leading to a further need for more children.

(TW: Day Three, Day Four, Day Five)

Technology
The 456 were known to have technological systems which could meet the systems of the human race from 1965 onwards, such as radio telecommunications, and some chemical knowledge compatible to those of human standards. They also appeared to fluently speak and understand English though this may or may not have been through the use of a translator.

They also were far more advanced than the human race they had the chemical and biological knowledge to provide a range of viruses and anti-viruses. They could wire a human child into their own life-support systems, thus living off it, transport themselves across space and through matter with little effort in what could have been described as a "great pillar of fire", while still remaining hidden from advanced radar and satellites.

They could also manipulate the minds of millions of children at will, as displayed when they came to Earth in 2009, when they forced all children globally on Earth to chant "We are coming" for a matter of seconds, this carried on more frequently, until it got so sophisticated that they had each country's children relaying a different message to their own governments. (TW: Day One, Day Four)

History
First contact was made by the 456 in 1965 when a new strain of Indonesian flu was projected to kill millions and there were difficulties in coming up with an anti-virus. Then, speaking through radio waves on the signature frequency - 456 - came alien voices, claiming to have an anti-virus to cure this flu and that they were prepared to trade the anti-virus for twelve children, also promising never to return to Earth. The UK Government agreed to the trade. (TW: Day Four)

The 456 gave the government a meeting point in the Scottish Highlands. Captain Jack Harkness drove a bus containing twelve orphan children to the location. The 456 said that the children would not be harmed, and in fact "would live forever." Harkness and armed personnel ushered the children into a great radiant light, and with the exception of one orphan, the 456 took the children and vanished, transmitting the information needed to create the vaccine. (TW: Day Four)

In September 2009, the 456 returned to Earth, not keeping to their previous promise. They first stopped every single child on the planet and used them to convey the message "We are coming." (TW: Day One)

They followed up by secretly using the radio frequency 456 to relay instructions for a purpose-built gas-filled chamber to be constructed for them on the top floor of Thames House. (TW: Day Two)

On their arrival day they came through the sky in a pillar of fire into the chamber, and began negotiations with John Frobisher, this time asking for 10% of the world's children in exchange for not destroying the human race. (TW: Day Three)

The request was denied and the UK government offered 6200 children; the 456 rejected this offer and used the children of each country to tell the respective governments the number of children required by the 456.

The arrival of Jack Harkness led to an argument with the 456, who then released a poison compound into the air of Thames House as a demonstration of what the people of Earth would receive if they didn't comply. This killed everyone in Thames House including Ianto Jones and Jack Harkness. The 456 then gave the governments of the world one day to consider. (TW: Day Four)

The government thus continued with its operations to round up 10% of the UK's children and hand them over to the 456. Fortunately before the 456 could take their prize Jack Harkness was able to turn back on the 456 the radio wave which had killed Clement and hence also killed them, thus saving the Earth. This however would come at the cost of Harkness' own grandson. (TW: Day Five)

Behind the Scenes
To be added