Why did the 456 make the humans pick the 10%? (COE spoiler)

[barnsleyman]

My question is if the 456 had the technology to single out all the children wherever they are and could control them like they did. Why did they make the humans chose the 10% of children to be given up? Surely they could just have taken any of the children they wanted couldn't they?

If they didn't come up with the 10% they were going to destroy the human race. Why go to all that trouble and not just take the 10% they wanted (or any other number for that matter)

Your theories please :search:

[Timeless-II]

That would have made a VERY short story - one of the major plots revolved around humans having to choose.

[barnsleyman]

That would have made a VERY short story - one of the major plots revolved around humans having to choose.

OK Yes I do know that :lol: .... But I'm asking for people to use a bit of imagination as to what the reason was.

[nightowl]

What Timey said! <tm> :derisive:

But to go with your theoretical question -

Presumably, they could control them, but in both 1965 and the present they had to rely in human interaction to receive them - perhaps they can only make the children speak, but not physically control them, nor make them get to the place where they could collect them.

10% seems to be a favorite RTD number - if you go back to Journey's End, the Daleks killed off 10% as well. Perhaps it's enough to decimate and demoralize without killing off completely a renewable resource.

Now they threatened to destroy the human race, but would they really? Perhaps they could destroy a couple of continents as a lesson, and keep the majority of the humans alive to create more for consumption - we never really get there.

As for making people choose the 10%? Perhaps they're sadistic and got a kick out of making people suffer. :wink:

[barnsleyman]

As for making people choose the 10%? Perhaps they're sadistic and got a kick out of making people suffer. :wink:

I think that's perhaps a large part of it. I certainly think they have a sadistic streak. They showed they had the ability to communicate without having to use the children but they used them as it was said 'because they could' certainly quite sadistic.

[nightowl]

They showed they had the ability to communicate without having to use the children but they used them as it was said 'because they could' certainly quite sadistic.

How else to intimate a race than to use their own offspring? And when you think of what they were using the children for, it adds an additional level of sadism to the whole idea.

[owlpost1992]

I suppose it could be like blood control you can make the kids chant but you can't make them walk into danger.

[cwebster]

My assumption is that there are only certain locations that they can transfer people from...probably deserted areas judging by where Jack dropped off the original group, so they can't just grab people from anywhere.
Also, they asked for a "gift" of 10%. You don't normally select your own gift:)

[U.N.I.T.]

Whilst they 'stopped' the children and used them to broadcast, my assumption was they didn't have enough 'control' to make them do any more of their bidding! They needed humans to transfer the kids and like any drug addicts, they weren't bothered about where their fix came from, just that they got it!

[DavidsGirl841444]

My theory a lucrative trade the children for drugs why take all the kids when you only need 10% now that way when your supply runs low again you come back in 40 years ten and have more kids to chose from maybe 20% next time. A good way let them keep some of the children that way we will have more in the future and ask for little so next time you can ask for the same amount or bit higher. If they gave in once they will sure to do it again.

[The doctor11]

maybe because they were didnt have any advance tech apart from the control and transporter. If they were just getting themselves high on children then why should they worry about advancement in technology