Hey Guys and Girls! Welcome to the third instalment of the Impossible Girl Saga. We're kicking off the next part of Imogen's journey with the Pilot from the Sarah Jane Adventures: the Invasion of the Bane.
Description of Imogen: she's 5.5ft with long brown hair, fair skin and violet eyes. As of Platform One she wears a golden locket engraved with Gallifreyan. Imogen looks similar to Emily Rudd.
~Roald Dahl Plass~
"Thanks for dropping me off", Harmony said as she, the Doctor and Imogen stepped out of the TARDIS.
"You're welcome", Imogen said.
"You sure you won't keep travelling with us?" the Doctor asked slightly hoping that she would change her mind. Considering that they were the last of the Time Lords.
"I'm sure. I've got stuff I need to do Doctor", Harmony said.
"Are we going to see you again?" Imogen asked.
Harmony smiled "you can count on it Imogen", she replied before she walked away. The Doctor and Imogen watched her go before the former turned to the latter.
"Are you ok?" the Doctor asked carefully.
"Yeah…I'm ok", Imogen replied but the Doctor could see that she was hurting over her best friend. The Time Lord pulled her into a hug.
"Imogen?" the Doctor said after a moment of silence.
"Hm…?" Imogen said looking up at him. The Doctor bent his head down and softly kissed her.
"I love you", he said "you beautiful…clever…impossible girl". Imogen blushed at his compliment earning a smile from the Doctor.
"I love you too", Imogen said "you handsome Time Lord". She pressed her lips against his in a quick kiss. "Um…Doctor would it be ok if we went to see my mum?" Imogen asked "I want to make sure she's ok".
"Of course", the Doctor replied and the pair walked back into the TARDIS.
~Bannerman Road~
Sarah Jane glanced over at the door when she heard a very familiar wheezing sound. She smiled as the TARDIS appeared in the attic. "Mum!" Imogen cried running out of the blue box and over to the woman, flinging her arms around her.
"It's good to see you too sweetheart", Sarah Jane said patting her daughter on the back "what brought that on?"
Imogen pulled back to look at her mother confused "what do you mean, what brought that on? I was worried about you. Daleks and Cybermen having a fire fight?"
"Honey that was months ago", Sarah Jane told her.
"What?" Imogen spun around to face the Doctor who had the decency to look guilty "you promised me that you'd get me back the same day!"
"I thought I had, I'm sorry Imogen", he said apologetically.
Imogen sighed "that's ok Doctor". She should've known that was going to happen. After all the Doctor's track record hadn't been the best in regards to getting them precisely where they wanted to go. She looked at her mother "you didn't get hurt during that fight did you?" she asked.
"No I didn't", Sarah Jane assured her.
"Good. That's good", Imogen said relieved.
"So where's Rose?" Sarah Jane asked not seeing the blonde with them.
"She's not travelling with us anymore. She decided that she wanted to spend more time with her mother", Imogen replied "so um are you currently working on any interesting cases?" she asked wanting to change the subject. Although it had been a few months her mother, the battle of Canary Warf wasn't that long ago for herself and the Doctor. A few hours actually. So the topic of Rose Tyler was still a bit of a sensitive one for them.
"Actually I am", Sarah Jane answered turning back to her computer. She brought up an image of the Bubble Shock factory on the screen for the Doctor and Imogen to look at. "This company: Bubble Shock seemingly appeared out of nowhere"
"What does Bubble Shock make?" the Doctor asked.
"Some sort of pop drink. From what I've found out this company has somehow managed to get approval from the EU to market Bubble Shock in two weeks".
Imogen frowned "that doesn't seem right. Surely it takes a lot longer, not to mention the numerous amounts of testing before any company gets approval to market new food and drink", she said.
"Normally it does", Sarah Jane agreed "I've tried to get in contact with them…phone calls….emails but no one is responding".
"Maybe it's time to visit the factory nearest here and get some answers", Imogen suggested.
"I couldn't agree more", Sarah Jane said "do you want to come with me?"
"Count me in", Imogen said enthusiastically. She looked at the Time Lord "how about you Doctor? You wanna help?"
"Absolutely", the Doctor replied. He was more than eager for a new adventure. Sarah Jane smiled, glad that they both wanted to help.
"Ok so here's what I think we should do…."
The plan itself was pretty simple. Imogen was going to get the free bus to the factory and take in the tour of the place while the Doctor and Sarah Jane gained entrance via a more 'covert' method.
Imogen fiddled with her locket while she waited for the Bubble Shock bus. As she waited, two girls aged around 14 or 15 approached the bus stop. "There you go. You got my number. Don't give it to anyone in Year Eight", the black girl, Kelsey said to the curly haired brunette, Maria.
Sarah Jane's green car drove past, containing the woman herself and the Doctor. Imogen watched it go. "That's the mad woman. Always racing about", Kelsey remarked.
"She's a bit glamorous, though. What does she do?" Maria asked. Imogen stood there quietly listening in on their conversation all the while making it look like she wasn't.
"Journalist or something", Kelsey replied "My Mum's friend Kath Pontin says she never has anyone around. Never talks to anyone except her daughter, Imogen. Did you know that Imogen disappeared for an entire year? I recon she wanted to get escape her mother's madness so she ran away. If I had a mum like Sarah Jane, I'd run away too…" Imogen gripped her locket, in anger. She had no right to talk about her mother like that! But instead of saying anything, she held her tongue. "This guy Sakkib once saw her by the station, and she was talking to this big crystal thing, and it moved!"
"What, like a monster or something?" Maria asked. Before Kelsey could answer, a bright orange bus stamped with the words 'Bubble Shock' on the side came around the corner. Imogen got on when it stopped followed by Kelsey and Maria.
The violet eyed girl grabbed a small bottle of Bubble Shock from the bucket at the front and sat down. She knew that it wasn't a good idea to try the stuff especially if there was something weird going on but she figured it couldn't hurt to have a tiny sip. Imogen cracked open the bottle, took the smallest sip possible and nearly gagged. It was horrible! She masked her disgust from the other passengers as she screwed the lid back on.
"I don't get how this Bubble Shock stuff's supposed to work", Maria said to Kelsey who was sitting across the aisle from Imogen.
"I don't care. It just makes you feel all wide awake, and it tastes fab", Kelsey said.
"I think it's disgusting", Maria stated. You and me both Imogen agreed.
"You're one of the 2% then", Kelsey informed her. Yeah, mum did mention something like that. Seems like I'm one of the 2% too. "Doesn't work on two percent of the people, and that's a fact, that is. Anyway, it's organic".
Maria took the bottle from Kelsey "So that makes it all right then, just the magic word organic?" she questioned.
"Well, it's natural… and that's good" Kelsey countered. She snatched the bottle back "…so there".
~Factory~
Imogen trails along behind the group as they're lead through a set of double doors by a young man in a suit. "Right, welcome to the Bubble Shock Experience", the young man, Davey said as he walked up to a what appeared to be some sort of fully body scanner, similar to what they'd had at the airports. "If you'd like to step through the archway", Davey instructed as he stepped through himself.
One by one the visitors step though, a bright flash going off whenever they did so. "Security scan in a pop factory?" Maria asked rather surprised to see one there.
"People want to steal the recipe", Kelsey explained. She stepped through and looked back at Maria who seemed a bit unsure. "Come on", Kelsey urged "it doesn't hurt".
Imogen stepped up to Maria "it's nothing to be worried about", she said although it did get her mind going. Why have a security scan in the factory? If that even was what it is. It looked almost futuristic looking. Imogen stepped through the archway, feeling a slight tingle across her skin as the light flashed. She glanced back at Maria and beckoned her through.
Maria took a breath and stepped through the security arch. The bright light flashed as she did so. "See? No biggie", Imogen said.
"Yeah…no biggie", Maria agreed.
"I'm Imogen by the way", Imogen said introducing herself.
"Maria", Maria said introducing herself as well.
~Outside the factory~
Cargo now departing for mainland Europe. Cargo now departing for Central America. Cargo now departing for central California. Came over the tannoy as the Doctor and Sarah Jane crept round the building to find a way in. The pair stopped by a door marked CPM SWITCH ROOM. The Doctor used his sonic on the door and pulled it open to find two men in orange overalls.
~Factory~
Imogen tried not to be impressed as the tour group was led into the main area of the factory. She was here to find out what was going on, not to gawk at the place. "It's huge!" Maria exclaimed as they walked down the steps.
"I've seen it loads of times", Kelsey informed her.
"Okay, just a quick reminder. If you could turn off your mobile phones", Davey instructed as they walked "That means all of you. We have extremely sensitive equipment here and the signals can interfere with the machinery. So phones off".
"What's a mobile going to do, make the bubbles go flat?" Maria joked. Imogen bit back a laugh at her sass. She liked this girl.
"That's enough lip at the back. Just do it", Davey ordered. Kelsey flipped her phone shut and stuck it in her pocket "Thank you".
"That's a bit rude", Maria muttered turning her own phone off.
"He's not ginger", Imogen said under her breath, a smile coming to her face as she recalled the times she would say to the Doctor 'rude and not ginger'.
"I don't care, he's a total muffin", Kelsey said leaning against the railing. Imogen raised an eye brow at the tone of her voice. It sounded like she had a crush on the guy. In her opinion he was…ok to look at. Nothing compared to the Doctor though.
"Okay, everyone. This is the main production area", Davey said gesturing around the large room "And before we go any further, I'd like to offer you more free samples" a trolley of Bubble Shock drinks was wheeled in. Blimey, they're eager to give those away Imogen thought. "Help yourselves"
Everyone rushes forward to the trolley picking up as many as they could carry each. "Not going to get a free sample?" Imogen asked Maria who hadn't moved.
"I'm in the 2% with the wrong taste buds", Maria told her "what about you?"
"Same", Imogen said "it's disgusting", she added quietly.
"Oi! You two!" Davey called getting the attention of Maria and Imogen. He beckoned them forward and they comply. "No Bubble Shock?" he asked.
"Sadly no, we're part of the 2% with the wrong taste buds", Imogen replied.
Davey picked up a bottle of Bubble Shock "Oh. Don't worry, we're working on it. Soon we'll have everyone drinking Bubble Shock", he said. Davey tossed a bottle to Maria and Imogen "The whole world"
"I'd rather have a cup of tea", Maria stated dropping the bottle back into the trolley.
"Even if you could perfect it, I would sooner eat a pear than have another sip of this", Imogen declared dumping her bottle back into the trolley as well "and I hate pears".
~Office~
Two cups of tea were set down in front of the Doctor and Sarah Jane. "Thank you. That's very kind", Sarah Jane said politely while the Doctor didn't say anything.
"Think of yourself as our guests", the blonde woman, Mrs Wormwood said.
"We weren't breaking in, we was just trying to reach someone in charge", Sarah Jane quickly explained "I phoned about a hundred times, but no one would talk to me".
"I've seen the list. Phone calls, emails. Miss Sarah Jane Smith certainly makes her presence felt", Mrs Wormwood remarked.
"Do you mind if I take notes?" Sarah Jane asked pulling out her little black notebook from her handbag.
"Not at all. And since you and Mr…"
"Keiran. John Kieran", the Doctor said. Sarah Jane just about stopped herself from looking at him in surprise. It wasn't the alias he'd usually go for. In fact Kieran was the name that Imogen would often use when undercover so no one knew they were related.
"Since you and Mr Kieran have been so bold, let's make this an official interview", Mrs Wormwood.
"And it's…" Sarah Jane glanced at the name plate on the desk "Mrs Wormwood?"
"That's correct", Mrs Wormwood confirmed.
"As a matter of fact, that's in the Bible, Wormwood", the Doctor spoke up "The Book of Revelations. At the end of the world, it describes a star falling to Earth and poisoning the waters. A star called Wormwood".
"Fascinating", Mrs Wormwood said dryly "Shall we move on to business?"
"I've got contacts in the City. They said it was like this company dropped in from nowhere. And normally it takes years of tests to get approval from the EU to market a new foodstuff. You got it in two weeks", Sarah Jane said.
"All we're doing is satisfying a need", Mrs Wormwood said simply.
"Which is what exactly?" the Doctor asked.
"The people are hungry, Miss Smith, Mr Kieran", Mrs Wormwood replied "For new food, new drinks, new tastes. All the Western world does is eat. All day, every day, eating. They gorge and feast and chew and bite, everything sweet and hot and cold and sticky. Food and drink. Just food and drink, that's the human race. They devour. Who are we to deny them?"
"So you invented Bane?" Sarah Jane asked.
"The Bane in Bubble Shock isn't new. Oh, no. It's very, very old", Mrs Wormwood answered "Come and see". The woman got up and walked over to a large stand-alone screen. The Doctor and Sarah Jane followed her, the Time Lord's mind working hard to figure out what was going on. It definitely seemed to him that there was more to Mrs Wormwood than first appears. And Bane…that name seemed familiar to him. He hoped Imogen was having more luck.
~Factory~
The girl in question had managed to slip away from the tour and was having a bit of a wander. "There must be something around here", she murmured as she walked. Imogen's eyes lit up when she spotted a set of double doors. She went over, pushed them open and went inside. "This is more like it", Imogen remarked seeing the machinery along the walls. One particular screen caught her eye and she walked over to it. "So that's they were doing. Full body scans", she said watching the images flicker across the screen "but what on earth for?"
Imogen reached for the key board when all of a sudden an alarm blared.
