Post by Fitz Kreiner on Apr 2, 2010 13:31:59 GMT
Day one, Arrival
Well, where can I begin? I suppose the beginning is the best place, but then, where’s the beginning? What about the basics? My name is Jessica Marianne Lawton, I’m 20 years old and I am a time traveller. Hmm, that sounds rather alcoholics anonymous doesn’t it? Well, it’s true, you read it right, I’m a time traveller. I travel through time and space in a police telephone box. Yes, you read that right as well! Ok, it’s not a real police box, it just looks like one, it’s really a fantastic space/time ship called the TARDIS, and it’s much bigger inside than out. I don’t really understand the whole bigger being larger than outside thing, but it happens, somehow. Anyway, I travel with two men, my friends; the Doctor and Tom. They’re both from a race called Time Lords, however the Doctor is a lot older, about 1300 years old he claims, but he only looks about early 40s. And Tom, well, he says he’s about 85, but doesn’t look much older than 25.
Anyway, this place, the TARDIS, is where we all live and travel. It really is remarkable inside and it looks a lot different in here than when I first joined the Doctor on his travels. But that’s another story, and it’s rather on the long side. If you know them, I can shorten it to the one name; Daleks. If not, then ask me and I’ll explain later. I might even write that one down too for you.
I’m getting side tracked again. I might do that a bit, so sorry in advance. Sometimes it gets rather complicated and hard to fit it all in. Anyway, I’ve decided to keep a sort of diary, or journal thing, for a while about how things go. At the moment, I’m sat in the TARDIS kitchen area. It’s a small room off the main control room of the TARDIS and looks pretty much like an old country farmhouse kitchen, but with modern appliances, like kettles and blenders and the likes. The control room is similar, it’s wooden walls, wooden support columns and wooden console, which has six sides and a big class pillar that goes up to the ceiling. But I don’t think it’s quite real wood, and this place is much too advanced to be powered by wind or steam, unless its time wind or time steam!
See, I’m getting side tracked again! So, I’m sat in the TARDIS kitchen, drinking a rather nice coffee sort of drink. We picked it up on a planet called Solaris 3, the Doctor, Tom and myself have all had a bit of a break there after another long story, only this one took place on the Moon. (Don’t ask!) I didn’t see a lot of Tom those first few days there, he seemed a bit distracted and spent a lot of time exploring some old ruins with a tent and small pack of some food bars from the food machine. Me, well I spent several days relaxing on the beach. It wasn’t too hot, but nice enough, and peaceful. The Doctor and I then went to a huge market, and I mean huge! It was about the size of Lincoln town centre (I forgot to say, that’s where I’m from. 1999 to be precise. Should have put that in first!) and they didn’t have any idea of what money is. It rather confused the Doctor at first, which was rather funny, until we realised there’s a sort of bead based barter system. He got quite a lot for one of the random and useless things he tends to keep in his pockets. And quite a lot for his old bag of Jelly Babies too!
But yeah, we spent a good week on Solaris 3, which was nice. We’ve pottered to a few places, had a close call with some form of space squid which decided that we’d make either a good food source or mate, we can’t quite figure out which.
Distracted again! Damnit! I will keep on track, well, try to! So yeah, as you’ve guessed, I’m sat at the kitchen area of the TARDIS control room, and I can see the Doctor when I look up. How to describe him? Awesome is a pretty good word. He’s damned clever, most intelligent man I’ve ever met, good fun and rather amusing when he gets going, although I’ve heard enough stories about Napoleon. He’s sort of like an intergalactic poet, long wavy hair, waistcoats, cravats and frock coats. Nice style. I sometimes tease him about it by calling him Lord Byron, who he’s also met. Today, he’s opting for an open necked look, no cravat, crimson waistcoat, dark grey trousers. Goodness knows which coat he’ll go for, he has a collection on the hat-stand near the main doors. I’m going with either purple or black.
Anyway, it’s breakfast time for me. I’ve got one of the nicest bacon and egg sandwiches I’ve ever eaten here, so apologies for any yolk stains! The Doctor has a cup of tea balanced dangerously on the edge of the console, but it seems to be defying gravity sitting there. As usual, he’s dashing around like a blue arsed fly. No, that’s not right, it’s rather hard to describe how he works at the console. It’s rather a miracle to watch! I’m sure there are times he has four hands with what he’s doing. Anyway, we’re heading for somewhere, he’s mentioned something about the Waylos galaxy, or something like that. (Don’t quote me there!)
Well, wherever we’re going, I’m really looking forward to it. I can’t quite describe the thrill I get stepping through those doors and onto a new planet or new adventure. They do have some very bad sides some times, like the Moon thing, a chap called the Master, Daleks. But still, I love the travel, there’s something about it. I wouldn’t swap it for anything.
“How’s the breakfast?” the Doctor asks suddenly without looking up.
It almost made me choke on my sandwich then. “Best bacon and egg sandwich I’ve ever had,” I reply.
“The eggs of the Wikkawakka bird, and Solarian bacon.” The Doctor looked up and smiled at me in that way that he does. It’s one of those smiles that almost makes you dizzy and makes your legs turn to rubber. Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t fancy him or anything. I mean, he’s not bad looking, but I don’t see him that way.
“Well, it’s pretty damn good whatever it is,” I reply. It seems as though my breakfast is all Solarian. I didn’t know we had those bacon and eggs onboard.
Look at me getting all narrator on you! Who’d have thought it, Jessica Lawton, star of her own sci-fi story? Only, this isn’t sci-fi, it’s real, so I guess it’s action or adventure or whatever. Sorry, getting distracted again, where was I? Oh yeah;
From where I was sat I had a pretty good view of all the main control room of the TARDIS. I could see the doors to the rest of the ship, and I looked at them, wondering where Tom had gotten too. I’ve not seen him since last night. We found a rather interesting room in the TARDIS, a bar! One of the last things I expected to see. Anyway, Tom and I had spent a bit of time in there last night having a drink. I’d brought in some CDs from the TARDIS library and was introducing him to some music. I thought a bit of Led Zeppelin and Iron Maiden would do. I even managed to get him dancing too, which I was rather impressed with.
As if he’d read my mind, and believe me, there are times the bugger seems like he can do that, the door opened and Tom stepped in. He was in his usual casual clothes of black shirt and battered jeans and biker boots. I have been a bit worried about him, especially since the Cybermen on the Moon, which is why I was so happy about last night, he seemed to really enjoy himself. Those bastards have really put him through some nuts, mind you, the last time we met them, they weren’t too nice with me either. There are some things about that I should really talk to him about, but I don’t think now is the time.
“Morning,” he says smiling at me and then the Doctor.
“Morning,” I say back. The Doctor, as usual, seems a bit preoccupied with the TARDIS.
“Any breakfast left?” he asked running a hand through his hair. He’s wearing his hair down this morning as opposed to his usual ponytail. There are some times when he almost reminds me of someone, but I can’t quite place it. It’s not a bad thing though.
“Erm, probably some bacon and eggs and a bit of coffee, unless Jess has eaten it all,” the Doctor cheekily said from the console without looking our way.
“Great,” Tom smiled.
The cheeky bugger gave me a kidney tickle as he walked behind me, making me squeak. I hit him on the back as he walks past laughing.
“Where’s he taking us this time?” he asks me.
I shrug. “No idea,” I reply. He said something about a Waylos galaxy or something like that. Mean anything to you?”
I sometimes run some things the Doctor says past Tom. He’s the same race as the Doctor, but very different, more human if that makes sense? There are times he’s more down to Earth and I can understand him a bit better. He doesn’t use a lot of techno-babble or jargon when he talks. But because he’s a Time Lord too, sometimes he gets more of the jist of what the Doctor is on about than I do and he’s a good translator.
“No idea,” Tom says, putting the last of the bacon in a sandwich.
I’d just turned back to start writing more here when I heard Tom moan in annoyance. I knew, before I even turned round, that he’d got egg yolk down his shirt! Turning round, I have to turn back sblack personing; I was right.
“Alright,” he said, talking over me to the Doctor. “Have I got time to go change my shirt before you land or are we going to be in the thick of it again?”
The Doctor looked up towards us for the first time in I don’t know how long. I don’t mind that he doesn’t always look at us when he’s at the console, I’d probably not want to be distracted flying a time machine like this. I wouldn’t know where to begin. He has some absent minded moments, but he’s always there for you.
“Hmm,” he said thoughtfully, “I think it would probably be best. We might want to make an impression here.”
It seems as though the Doctor has finally figured out where we’re going. I think it’s one of the few times where he’s actually managed it. Earth once, Florana and Metebilis 3 were the other times.
I ask the Doctor if I’m going to be ok with what I’m wearing as Tom nips out of the control room and heads to change his shirt. The Doctor looks at me, tapping his lips with his finger, a manner I’ve often seen him do when thinking. I take a quick look down at what I’m wearing as the Doctor mulls it over. Today I’ve got for something rather comfortable; a dark burgundy velvet top with wide sleeves and a silk lace up the front over a pinker red front and loose black satin trousers over a sturdy pair of black boots. I also dyed my hair again last night; raven black, nice and shiny. I’ve learn that it pays to be both comfortable and sturdy with clothes when with the Doctor. Last time I wore a corset and skirt out of the TARDIS, we landed on a jungle world and it was totally inappropriate then.
“You’ll be fine,” the Doctor smiled at me. “It’s highly probable that we’ll all be the most dressed people there.”
That troubled me slightly. I’ve seen some aliens who don’t wear clothes on our travels, although there’s something odd about the way the Doctor has been talking about clothes recently, he hardly ever does.
“We’re not going to a nudist beach are we?” I ask, half in shock, half joking.
The Doctor paused and looked at me, a look of almost shock on his face. “Well, we can go to one after if you want?”
Now it’s my turn to be shocked. Unfortunately there’s nothing at hand to throw at him after he breaks out into a grin other than my breakfast, and I’m rather hungry so I decide to eat it.
“Well, where are we going?” I ask. I really want to know now, so finish off the rest of my sandwich and grab my coffee and walk over to the console.
“Somewhere I’ve always wondered about,” the Doctor says, pulling the scanner round to us so I can see. It looks rather old fashioned, like the rest of the console, but underneath it’s really hi-tech. I kinda like it, it’s kooky and really matches the Doctor.
“You seem to wonder about everything though,” I reply. It’s true, he’s a very inquisitive bloke, the Doctor. I like that about him, suits me too. I’d say I share his inquisitism. Is that a word? Oh well, it is now.
“A vastly old and ancient race,” the Doctor replies. (I love it when he gets like this) “They were old when most races were young, even older than the Time Lords. I’ve never been to see them before, yet they’ve visited many civilised worlds, even Earth, about 4000 BC.”
Whoa, that’s old! I didn’t know aliens were on Earth so long ago, and I tell the Doctor this.
“They visited the Egyptian lands, as did a few other races around that time, and became Gods to the people there,” the Doctor continued. “They were rather primitive at the time and these chaps made quite an impression.”
“Are you going to tell me who they are then?” I put my coffee down on the edge of the console and put my hands on my hips in my best ‘well?’ expression. I don’t know whether the Doctor notices it half the time.
“Oh, I thought I had,” he said looking up at me with sad eyes. “They’re called Anubians, a very powerful and peaceful people.”
I don’t know a huge amount about Ancient Egypt, but I can twig from their name which God they became to the Egyptians. “You mean these aliens were Anubis? The Hawk bloke?”
“Yes, and it was a jackal, Horus had the hawks head and he was a completely different kettle of fish. Anubis is also the name of the Anubian’s home planet.”
Well, you learn something new every day! I decided to let the Horus thing drop, it’d no doubt be long and complicated.
“Space dogs?” I ask. “So we’re going to a world of lamp posts?”
“Jess,” the Doctor says in that tone of voice when he’s kindly ticking me off for one of my jokes. I’m sure he knows that I don’t mean it. He can’t be so clever and not twig that one! “Although we’re not actually going to Anubis.”
“Oh?” I’m not sure whether I should sound disappointed here.
“We’re going to Intheop, the grandest city station of the Anubian Prefecture,” the Doctor has one of those far-away looks in his eyes again. I can tell this is going to be an interesting trip. He’s fascinated by this, so it’s bound to be something exciting. Old space aliens who are almost God-like. Awesome!
“So will there be people there?” I ask.
“The Anubians, yes,” the Doctor says. This is one of those tones of his that makes you glare at him, it’s as if he’s talking down to you there, but not in a bad way, if there is such a way. But, he cottons on to what I meant pretty quick. “Oh, you mean humans? Maybe, a few, I’m not sure. Is it a problem?”
“Oh, no,” it doesn’t bother me being one of only three of us who look human, I like standing out, and if we get separated (which happens a lot!) then it makes it pretty easy to find each other.
The Doctor smiled at me as the vworpy-vworpy noise of the TARDIS engines fills the room. I love that sound, ok, it can scare the bejeesus out of you if you’re not expecting, but to me, it signals that we’ve got a brand new adventure. It’s great, really excites me. The glass rods in the main column have stopped moving, so we’ve definitely landed.
“Just in time, am I?” Yep, it’s Tom again, in time for us to head off. He’s decided to tie his hair back again, shame really, he’s got really nice hair. He’s just doing up the last buttons on a new shirt, white this time. I guess he ran out of black.
“Spot on, Tom,” the Doctor smiles. “Are we all ready?” He reached out to the console and grabbed the door control, it’s a brass lever which slides down and opens the two main doors. Beyond them is like a small porch area which is a bit dark, and the doors to the outside, the police box doors. Don’t ask me to explain it to you, I can’t.
The Doctor, with that childish energy of his, bounds across the control room floor to the doors grabbing one of the coats from the hat-stand. You wanna know which colour? Well, it’s the black one.
“Where are we?” Tom whispers to me as he catches me up in crossing the room.
“Erm, a space station called Intheop I think it belongs to the Anubians. Giant Space Dogs!” I wink at him and loop my arm through his. I’ve got to say, Tom’s easily become my best friend since we’ve been travelling. He’s saved my life several times and I’ve done the same once or twice. You’ve no idea how things like that can draw you together. Well, unless you’ve been in that situation, like in the army or something. There are some times I wonder what I’d do without him, or the Doctor.
(As you’ve probably guessed, as I’m now talking about us leaving the TARDIS, I’m still not sat at the breakfast bar having breakfast. I’ll tell you where I am now later because it may spoil the story, but there’s not much story about round breakfast to make it worthwhile yet, so I’m adding what happened after. There will probably be a few times like that, just so you know. Anyway, back to the story.)
By the time me and Tom have gotten over to the doors, the Doctor has his coat on and is lightly hopping from foot to foot in that excitable manner of his. He does this whenever he wants to say or do something and is verging on impatience. He can be like a child like that, but that’s one of the endearing things about him.
“Ready?” he asks, leading the way out of the TARDIS.
“Apparently we are,” I say jabbing Tom gently in the ribs as we follow the Doctor out. I still get a slight shiver down my spine when leaving or entering the TARDIS, but I’ve got used to it. To me it’s the shiver of anticipation, of what may come.
As soon as we’re out of the TARDIS, we nearly bump into the back of the Doctor. We see why pretty damn quick. In a semi-circle around the TARDIS are seven fierce looking aliens. They’re about seven feet tall, which makes them tower over Tom, who’s pretty tall himself, and grey. They look half dog, half man, they’re man shaped and muscular with human hands, and half human feet, half paws which is odd.
They’re dressed in what looks like Ancient Egyptian clothes, blue and gold bands around their upper arms, blue and white skirt things around their waists. They’re bare chested other than golden neck decoration, halfway between a necklace and a collar and have the Egyptian head-dresses, gold bands around their head with the same style of blue and white striped cloth covering the top and going down the back of their heads. They all have a gold ankh which looks like it’s glued to their arm above the armband.
This is where they really look like the Egyptian Gods, they’ve all got the heads of Jackals, several have drawn their lips back bearing their teeth and some even have their ears pierced. They’ve all got golden staffs, topped in an ankh, and they’re all aimed at us, and they seem to be humming slightly as if they’re charged with energy.
I’ve seen enough in the last eight months to know that these Anubians have to be the city guard and these staffs they’re aiming at us are weapons. I start to raise my hands as I can feel Tom doing the same beside me. Needless to say, we know the drill. We’ve been in this situation before.
I leant forward to whisper to the Doctor who seemed frozen to the spot. “Well, you’ve done it again, straight into trouble.”
