Post by Oldmankrondas on May 10, 2011 15:58:14 GMT
Sarah pushed the door open and crept inside, followed closely by the Doctor. The backstage area was in complete darkness, clearly only the box office staff had turned up for work at this hour. 'I only took this article because I was forced to by my editor who magazine seems to think celebrity stories will increase our readership. I thought there was something suspicious about the whole thing, and now you've turned up. I was right!' Sarah beamed, fishing around in her handbag for a maglite.
The Doctor smiled back at Sarah, glad to be reunited with his old friend. 'So what can you tell me about Mr Bolam?'
'Well, he's a disgraced psychic medium who's suddenly received a bit of a career resurgence. There's been countless eye witness reports of him bringing back deceased relatives at his shows.'
'Bringing back?' The Doctor asked suspiciously.
Sarah had found the maglite and was now scanning the corridor with the narrow beam of light. 'Well, they're all projections and he doesn't allow audience members to get too close to them but they're supposedly 100% accurate.' Sarah noticed the unconvinced look in the Doctors eyes. 'Oh come on Doctor! You don't think I'd fall for it too? I've been asking around, one woman Mrs Richmond came face to face with her husband and everyone else in the audience backs up her reports. Something's going on in this theatre. Anyway, surely you know all that? Why else are you here?'
The Doctor shrugged. 'I don't know really, a friend of mine; Anna, she travels with me...her father has been dead for 13 years and today reappeared not looking a day older. Then Brigadier Harchester told me about this Bolam chap.'
'Brigadier Harchester? Not met him, Sir Alistair speaks very highly of him though...' the beam of light rested on the dressing room door. 'You've not told her you're investigating have you?'
'Course I have, she needs to know.'
'Oh Doctor....' Sarah sighed, instantly remembering how he could be both your best friend and someone completely alien all at once. '...losing your father at a young age can have a defining effect on a person. Believe me, I know. She needs to have her friend by her side, not off trying to cheapen the return of her father by unmasking it all as a terrible alien plot.' She paused. 'It is an alien plot isn't it?'
'I really don't know, if this Bolam has been able to project images of the deceased from reading the minds of audience members....well, he's not doing it alone.'
Sarah smiled. 'I knew it!' She indicated to the dressing room door. 'Shall we?'
Wake up Bolam! There are people at the door. People who have travelled such a long way and back again....
Bolam stirred from his sleep, still feeling groggy and not at all refreshed after his encounter with Miss Hunter. 'What do they want?' he slurred.
They suspect involvement from beyond the stars. They are clever Bolam, you will need to be on your toes.
There was a knock on the door. Bolam sighed, took a drink of water and called out, 'Come in!' The door swung open and a middle aged man with short black curly hair and square jaw dressed in a three piece tweed suit and a woman in her early 60s in burgundy stepped inside.
The man smiled broadly, outstretching a hand. 'Hello, I'm the Doctor. And this....is Sarah Jane Smith.' The woman in burgundy shook Bolam by the hand. 'We'd love to hear about your powers...'
Be wary of this one Bolam, he has killed many. His mind is closed, powerful....
Bolam smiled uncomfortably and beckoned for both of them to have a seat, they sat down on the leather sofa in the corner of his dressing room and Bolam returned to his armchair. 'What would you like to know Doctor?'
'When did you first realise you had this power Mr Bolam? I mean, you were washed up after all that unpleasantness with the Fields family.' Sarah began, producing a notepad from her handbag.
Bolam was clearly irritated by the question, and shifted uncomortably in his seat. 'I'll be honest with you Miss Smith, I was at my lowest ebb after the Fields I seriously contemplated suicide. I drove out to the countryside, climbed to the top of this hill overlooking some water. As I looked down into the pool below and suddenly, I could hear everything.' He looked up and smiled at both the Doctor and Sarah. 'I had been blessed.'
The Doctor arched an eyebrow, and leant back in the sofa. 'Whereabout was this hill Mr Bolam?'
Barry Collins was waved into Hyde Park by the soldiers posted on the road outside. Weaving the truck across the specially laid tracks, he felt his cargo judder to and fro on the flatbed of the lorry. In the years his haulage firm had assisted with live broadcasts he had never seen a stage quite like it. More surprising was that it had been built elsewhere and was ready to be placed in its position in the centre of the park. Barry was used to delivering the parts and leaving the techies to construct it all with a limited time limit. He eventually reached the centre of the park and was greeted by more soldiers. The site manager, a short, chubby man in high visibility clothing strode up to him through the crowd of roadies and soldiers, outstretching a hand. 'Collins is it? Thanks for getting here so quickly, we're a bit behind schedule. Thank goodness the stage is already built eh?'
Both men looked at the large, sleek silver structure that sat on the flatbed. It was tear drop shaped, with a platform built on to the curved end. It occured to Barry that it looked not unlike some sort of alien space craft.
The Doctor smiled back at Sarah, glad to be reunited with his old friend. 'So what can you tell me about Mr Bolam?'
'Well, he's a disgraced psychic medium who's suddenly received a bit of a career resurgence. There's been countless eye witness reports of him bringing back deceased relatives at his shows.'
'Bringing back?' The Doctor asked suspiciously.
Sarah had found the maglite and was now scanning the corridor with the narrow beam of light. 'Well, they're all projections and he doesn't allow audience members to get too close to them but they're supposedly 100% accurate.' Sarah noticed the unconvinced look in the Doctors eyes. 'Oh come on Doctor! You don't think I'd fall for it too? I've been asking around, one woman Mrs Richmond came face to face with her husband and everyone else in the audience backs up her reports. Something's going on in this theatre. Anyway, surely you know all that? Why else are you here?'
The Doctor shrugged. 'I don't know really, a friend of mine; Anna, she travels with me...her father has been dead for 13 years and today reappeared not looking a day older. Then Brigadier Harchester told me about this Bolam chap.'
'Brigadier Harchester? Not met him, Sir Alistair speaks very highly of him though...' the beam of light rested on the dressing room door. 'You've not told her you're investigating have you?'
'Course I have, she needs to know.'
'Oh Doctor....' Sarah sighed, instantly remembering how he could be both your best friend and someone completely alien all at once. '...losing your father at a young age can have a defining effect on a person. Believe me, I know. She needs to have her friend by her side, not off trying to cheapen the return of her father by unmasking it all as a terrible alien plot.' She paused. 'It is an alien plot isn't it?'
'I really don't know, if this Bolam has been able to project images of the deceased from reading the minds of audience members....well, he's not doing it alone.'
Sarah smiled. 'I knew it!' She indicated to the dressing room door. 'Shall we?'
*
Wake up Bolam! There are people at the door. People who have travelled such a long way and back again....
Bolam stirred from his sleep, still feeling groggy and not at all refreshed after his encounter with Miss Hunter. 'What do they want?' he slurred.
They suspect involvement from beyond the stars. They are clever Bolam, you will need to be on your toes.
There was a knock on the door. Bolam sighed, took a drink of water and called out, 'Come in!' The door swung open and a middle aged man with short black curly hair and square jaw dressed in a three piece tweed suit and a woman in her early 60s in burgundy stepped inside.
The man smiled broadly, outstretching a hand. 'Hello, I'm the Doctor. And this....is Sarah Jane Smith.' The woman in burgundy shook Bolam by the hand. 'We'd love to hear about your powers...'
Be wary of this one Bolam, he has killed many. His mind is closed, powerful....
Bolam smiled uncomfortably and beckoned for both of them to have a seat, they sat down on the leather sofa in the corner of his dressing room and Bolam returned to his armchair. 'What would you like to know Doctor?'
'When did you first realise you had this power Mr Bolam? I mean, you were washed up after all that unpleasantness with the Fields family.' Sarah began, producing a notepad from her handbag.
Bolam was clearly irritated by the question, and shifted uncomortably in his seat. 'I'll be honest with you Miss Smith, I was at my lowest ebb after the Fields I seriously contemplated suicide. I drove out to the countryside, climbed to the top of this hill overlooking some water. As I looked down into the pool below and suddenly, I could hear everything.' He looked up and smiled at both the Doctor and Sarah. 'I had been blessed.'
The Doctor arched an eyebrow, and leant back in the sofa. 'Whereabout was this hill Mr Bolam?'
*
Barry Collins was waved into Hyde Park by the soldiers posted on the road outside. Weaving the truck across the specially laid tracks, he felt his cargo judder to and fro on the flatbed of the lorry. In the years his haulage firm had assisted with live broadcasts he had never seen a stage quite like it. More surprising was that it had been built elsewhere and was ready to be placed in its position in the centre of the park. Barry was used to delivering the parts and leaving the techies to construct it all with a limited time limit. He eventually reached the centre of the park and was greeted by more soldiers. The site manager, a short, chubby man in high visibility clothing strode up to him through the crowd of roadies and soldiers, outstretching a hand. 'Collins is it? Thanks for getting here so quickly, we're a bit behind schedule. Thank goodness the stage is already built eh?'
Both men looked at the large, sleek silver structure that sat on the flatbed. It was tear drop shaped, with a platform built on to the curved end. It occured to Barry that it looked not unlike some sort of alien space craft.
