Post by Oldmankrondas on Apr 27, 2011 22:36:35 GMT
Mrs Richmond handed Sarah a chipped red mug with the Kit-Kat logo emblazoned on the side. Sarah nodded her thanks, blew on the hot milky brown liquid in the mug and took a sip, it was surprisingly good. 'I thought it was a load of old rubbish...' Mrs Richmond began as she settled down in her armchair. '...but Jessie, she lives down the street, she thought it'd be good for us to both get out of the house.'
'And had you been aware of Mr Bolam before his show?'
Mrs Richmond nodded. 'Oh yes, that poor family.' She shook her head. 'Going that whole time thinking their daughter was dead....just as well the police don't take these people seriously isn't it?'
Sarah nodded, thinking back to the heart breaking story of the Black family which had stalled Bolam's career. 'So I believe you were invited to take part in the show?'
Mrs Richmond sighed, gripping her mug of tea tightly, tears glistening in her eyes. 'Yes, he invited me on to the stage, I wasn't going to do it at first, but I thought it'd be a bit of fun to see how much information he got wrong y'know? But....' she sighed again, looking down at the carpet. '....he was spot on with everything. My husbands name, where we met, when we got married, how old he had been when he died. And then....' tears were streaming down her face now. '...and then, well he was standing there on the stage. Everyone saw him, Jessie saw him too. Standing there, clear as day, I reached out to touch him but Mr Bolam told me it would be impossible. Oh Miss Smith, if he can reunite everyone with our lost loved ones tomorrow....would it really be a bad thing?'
The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS on to Euston Road, they had landed outside the British Library, directly across the road from the unassuming glass fronted building where UNIT now conducted their operations. Anna followed, having changed into a green blouse and black trousers, her UNIT I.D clipped to the inside of her trouser pocket. 'You sure you want to come in with me? I mean, saving the universe from megolomaniacs and conversing with alien races are more your bag than family reunions aren't they?'
The Doctor shrugged. 'I had a family once Anna, and there are times when there is nothing more I want than to be reunited with them....'
Anna noticed the sadness in his voice and cursed herself for being so selfish, and cursed the Doctor for still being such a mystery after so long travelling with him. 'Come on then.' She sighed, linking her arm through the Doctors as they crossed the road and made for UNIT H.Q.
Brigadier Harchester was waiting for the two of them when they entered the lobby, standing in a grey suit with a black shirt and silver tie; the modern day UNIT dispensing with the military uniforms unless in active service to maintain a more inconspicuous veneer. 'Doctor, Anna, it's good to see you.'
'Where is he?' Anna asked immediately, her voice cracking.
Harchester looked to the Doctor. 'I can brief you both on the circumstances surrounding Captain Talbot's reappearance?'
'I'd rather hear it from my father himself thank you sir.' Anna replied, fighting back tears, everything now starting to catch up with her. What was she going to say to him? Would he even recognise her?
Harchester nodded. 'Very well, if you'll follow me...'
'There's a perfectly reasonable, scientific explanation Sarah....' sighed Sarah Jane as she pulled away from Mrs Richmonds house. '...that's what you'd say isn't it Doctor?' And she was sure there was, but everyone in the theatre last night had set internet messageboards and radio phone-ins alight with talk of Mrs Richmond's encounter with her deceased husband. How did Bolam manage it? Psychic powers? Some form of alien technology? A time echo? Sarah glanced down at her notepad to double check the address for her next meeting; Mr Templeton: Says Andre Bolam stole his wife. Sarah shook her head and tried to remind herself this was going to be a much bigger article than a run of the mill celebrity muck raking piece.
Anna had asked to be left alone in the waiting area in the clinic, so the Doctor and Brigadier Harchester had relocated to Harchester's office.
Both men were sitting at opposite ends of the desk, where Harchester had laid out some photographs of George Talbot and a couple of files detailing his time in UNIT. 'George Talbot was a decorated officer, constantly going above and beyond the call of duty to ensure his men returned home safely.' Harchester began. 'He first came to the attention of a Brigadier Winifred Bamberra in the Middle East, he was doing some security work for an oil pipeline which had come under Nestene control. I believe you were there too actually.'
The Doctor glanced down at a photo of Brigadier Bamberra and a short man with black hair, dressed in a linen suit and red tie, a question mark umbrella hanging from his forearm. The two of them were standing in the middle of the desert. 'Oh yes, the Nestene believed that by controlling the oil, they could control the plastic. Not one of their best plans....so Anna's father was there too?'
'Oh yes, and once he returned to the UK, he enlisted with UNIT and swiftly worked his way up the ranks. At the time of his apparent death, he had been seconded to a top secret government weapons programme. A programme so top secret that not even I can see the information. The only information I know is that there was a devastating explosion at the facility.'
'What about Alistair?'
'This was at the time of his retirement, but you know Sir Alistair, always likes to keep an eye on things. He's currently doing some digging for me, he's speaking to General Bamberra in Geneva.'
Anna was led into the clinic, and there, sitting on the bed in an olive green t-shirt with the UNIT logo on the left breast sat her father. Not a day older than when she had waved goodbye to him the day before her birthday. 'Doctor Cunningham I thought you said the tests were....' George Talbot paused, and looked at this visitor a little closer, the blonde hair, blue eyes. '....Anna...oh my God, Anna is that you?'
Anna nodded, no longer able to keep the tears bottled up. 'Hello dad.' She rushed forward and both Talbot's embraced.
'And had you been aware of Mr Bolam before his show?'
Mrs Richmond nodded. 'Oh yes, that poor family.' She shook her head. 'Going that whole time thinking their daughter was dead....just as well the police don't take these people seriously isn't it?'
Sarah nodded, thinking back to the heart breaking story of the Black family which had stalled Bolam's career. 'So I believe you were invited to take part in the show?'
Mrs Richmond sighed, gripping her mug of tea tightly, tears glistening in her eyes. 'Yes, he invited me on to the stage, I wasn't going to do it at first, but I thought it'd be a bit of fun to see how much information he got wrong y'know? But....' she sighed again, looking down at the carpet. '....he was spot on with everything. My husbands name, where we met, when we got married, how old he had been when he died. And then....' tears were streaming down her face now. '...and then, well he was standing there on the stage. Everyone saw him, Jessie saw him too. Standing there, clear as day, I reached out to touch him but Mr Bolam told me it would be impossible. Oh Miss Smith, if he can reunite everyone with our lost loved ones tomorrow....would it really be a bad thing?'
*
The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS on to Euston Road, they had landed outside the British Library, directly across the road from the unassuming glass fronted building where UNIT now conducted their operations. Anna followed, having changed into a green blouse and black trousers, her UNIT I.D clipped to the inside of her trouser pocket. 'You sure you want to come in with me? I mean, saving the universe from megolomaniacs and conversing with alien races are more your bag than family reunions aren't they?'
The Doctor shrugged. 'I had a family once Anna, and there are times when there is nothing more I want than to be reunited with them....'
Anna noticed the sadness in his voice and cursed herself for being so selfish, and cursed the Doctor for still being such a mystery after so long travelling with him. 'Come on then.' She sighed, linking her arm through the Doctors as they crossed the road and made for UNIT H.Q.
*
Brigadier Harchester was waiting for the two of them when they entered the lobby, standing in a grey suit with a black shirt and silver tie; the modern day UNIT dispensing with the military uniforms unless in active service to maintain a more inconspicuous veneer. 'Doctor, Anna, it's good to see you.'
'Where is he?' Anna asked immediately, her voice cracking.
Harchester looked to the Doctor. 'I can brief you both on the circumstances surrounding Captain Talbot's reappearance?'
'I'd rather hear it from my father himself thank you sir.' Anna replied, fighting back tears, everything now starting to catch up with her. What was she going to say to him? Would he even recognise her?
Harchester nodded. 'Very well, if you'll follow me...'
*
'There's a perfectly reasonable, scientific explanation Sarah....' sighed Sarah Jane as she pulled away from Mrs Richmonds house. '...that's what you'd say isn't it Doctor?' And she was sure there was, but everyone in the theatre last night had set internet messageboards and radio phone-ins alight with talk of Mrs Richmond's encounter with her deceased husband. How did Bolam manage it? Psychic powers? Some form of alien technology? A time echo? Sarah glanced down at her notepad to double check the address for her next meeting; Mr Templeton: Says Andre Bolam stole his wife. Sarah shook her head and tried to remind herself this was going to be a much bigger article than a run of the mill celebrity muck raking piece.
*
Anna had asked to be left alone in the waiting area in the clinic, so the Doctor and Brigadier Harchester had relocated to Harchester's office.
Both men were sitting at opposite ends of the desk, where Harchester had laid out some photographs of George Talbot and a couple of files detailing his time in UNIT. 'George Talbot was a decorated officer, constantly going above and beyond the call of duty to ensure his men returned home safely.' Harchester began. 'He first came to the attention of a Brigadier Winifred Bamberra in the Middle East, he was doing some security work for an oil pipeline which had come under Nestene control. I believe you were there too actually.'
The Doctor glanced down at a photo of Brigadier Bamberra and a short man with black hair, dressed in a linen suit and red tie, a question mark umbrella hanging from his forearm. The two of them were standing in the middle of the desert. 'Oh yes, the Nestene believed that by controlling the oil, they could control the plastic. Not one of their best plans....so Anna's father was there too?'
'Oh yes, and once he returned to the UK, he enlisted with UNIT and swiftly worked his way up the ranks. At the time of his apparent death, he had been seconded to a top secret government weapons programme. A programme so top secret that not even I can see the information. The only information I know is that there was a devastating explosion at the facility.'
'What about Alistair?'
'This was at the time of his retirement, but you know Sir Alistair, always likes to keep an eye on things. He's currently doing some digging for me, he's speaking to General Bamberra in Geneva.'
*
Anna was led into the clinic, and there, sitting on the bed in an olive green t-shirt with the UNIT logo on the left breast sat her father. Not a day older than when she had waved goodbye to him the day before her birthday. 'Doctor Cunningham I thought you said the tests were....' George Talbot paused, and looked at this visitor a little closer, the blonde hair, blue eyes. '....Anna...oh my God, Anna is that you?'
Anna nodded, no longer able to keep the tears bottled up. 'Hello dad.' She rushed forward and both Talbot's embraced.