One woman and her dog.
"I'm bored. Can we do something?"
"Like what?"
"Well, we're here to investigate things, so, uhm, not to be too rude or anything, but can we not, like, investigate something?"
"You're mad! You've been in charge for all of two days, we're still trying to pick up all of the pieces from 'you know who's' last visit, and you want to go out looking for even more trouble?"
"Trouble is what I specialise in. That's why I got this job. Remember?"
"Hmmm, well, we do have something. Maybe."
"I'll take it. What is it?"
"We've got sketchy reports from our monitoring posts in South Yorkshire, of strange energy readings. Very mobile, and stable."
"So not natural then?"
"Doesn't look like it. We had been ordered to investigate, just before the shit hit the fan in London."
"Well, let's go then. I've been cooped up in here for far too long."
New Farnley. South Yorkshire
"Well, K9, that was a wasted journey."
"Mistress? Elaborate please?"
"I went all the way to New York, for the Security Council meeting; thanks to General Benton I had a front row seat for the "big announcement" and then, nothing. They cancel the meeting and the press conference. Damned inconsiderate of them."
"Matters of world importance would take precedence over the matter, would they not?"
"Well, yes, of course K9, but there's nothing going on. Is there?"
"My scans of world media would appear to concur with your theory, but sensors also indicated an electro magnetic pulse of sizeable magnitude whilst you were gone. Readings were consistent with a thermonuclear detonation, but the duration was much shorter than would be expected in such an event."
"And nobody in the media knows about it? That's strange, ever since the attack by the Cybermen, everyone's been watching out for anything even remotely 'alien'. Where was the E.M.P. located?"
"There was no specific locus for the event. It occurred over a large sparsely populated area in the African nation of Ethiopia. No reports of effects have been reported, no further sensor readings available, pulse was momentary in duration and residuals evaporated almost immediately. No further analysis available at this range. Closer examination of the affected area would be advisable."
"I'd love to help K9, but I can't exactly take you on as hand luggage on a scheduled flight to Ethiopia now can I?"
"Possible solution available."
"Yes?" Sarah Jane responded almost excited.
"General Benton. He has facilities as chief liaison to UNIT to enable my secretion aboard any military vessel."
"He'll be cross; I've been asking a lot of him lately."
"The Doctor/Master programmed me with all knowledge gleaned about UNIT personnel, including information about General Benton's affectations towards you mistress, this could be used to your advantage, could it not?"
"He's a married man. I couldn't flirt with his affections just to get a plane ride to Ethiopia. That would be cruel. Anyway, that's all in the past now. I'm sure he's very happy with his wife."
"No information on status of marital affairs of General Benton, but suggestion, try?"
"OK, you win, I'll call him. He might at least have more information on what's going on over there." Sarah Jane moved to the phone, "I'll try his office first." She picked up the phone, "That's odd; I'm not getting a dial tone. Must be another fault at the exchange."
Sarah Jane picked up her mobile phone and started to dial. "No signal? How bizarre"
K9 was in motion almost before Sarah Jane could register it. "Low level dampening field detected. Communication malfunctions are deliberate. Alert, Alert."
The front door of Sarah Jane's house suddenly flew back off its hinges. "Nobody move!" A male voice shouted as a figure clad all in black entered the dwelling, followed by two others, similarly dressed. All of them had guns, of some description, in their hands. The first crumpled under fire from K9.
"Cease hostile activity, I am programmed for defensive actions." K9 moved to position himself between Sarah and the intruders, who were still somewhat startled by the sudden felling of their comrade.
"Come, come gentlemen. Is this any way to treat a lady, and her fascinating little dog thing?" The almost dulcet tones came from a fourth individual who had stepped through the doorway. "Weapons down people," he said to the two remaining men dressed in black. "I hope you'll call off your dog miss."
"Instructions mistress?" K9 asked Sarah Jane.
"Okay, Power down your blaster K9, let's see if these 'gentlemen' can explain their actions." Sarah Jane could hear K9 complying with her instructions as the nozzle tip of his blaster withdrew.
"Thank you. K9 was it? Cute name. My name is Jack. I'm here representing the Torchwood institute."
"I knew it. I just knew it. You really do exist don't you?"
"Well, I exist, I've never denied that, my mother has, once or twice, but you need to know her to get her sense of humour."
"No, not you personally, I mean Torchwood as an organisation. I could never find anything concrete, but I knew you were out there." Out of the corner of her eye, Sarah could see K9's sensor pod extending from the area at the top of his head. His ears began to twirl; Sarah knew he was scanning the new arrivals.
"Oh, we exist alright. Protecting the British Empire from alien threats."
"Newsflash for you 'Jack' there is no British Empire any more."
"Y'know? I told them that, but they just told me to shut up. Weird huh?"
"Mistress, update available. This individual shows signs of chronal displacement. Temporal radiation readings are quite high. Also showing traces of Matrix contact in his cerebral cortex."
"In English K9!" Sarah Jane said, a little more than exasperated.
"This individual has travelled in a TARDIS, recently."
"What do you know about the TARDIS?" Jack was immediately on the defensive...
"Bio form readings correlate to individual known to the Doctor/Master. Instigating holo message."
A slot opened on K9's head, that Sarah Jane had never seen before and a small camera like device slid out of the alcove. An image appeared in front of K9, a ghostly image that Sarah recognised immediately, as the Doctor, the most recent one. The one who had recently visited Earth and gifted her the new K9 mark 4. The image spoke.
"Hello Captain. I thought you might pop back up somewhere, you've got a knack for survival that almost matches mine. I know you don't recognise me, but it's me. It's the Doctor. If you're seeing this, then you've found some anachronistic technology and decided to investigate, well, let me introduce you to that technology. This is K9, and this," The image turned to look straight at Sarah Jane, "Sarah Jane Smith, my Sarah Jane. Still getting into trouble I see." The figure smiled at her,
"Are you recording your message for Jack?" Sarah recognised Rose's voice immediately. Then her image pushed the Doctor's out of view. "Hey there Jack, good to, well, I can't actually see you, but you know, it's good to know that you got away from the Game Station in one piece maybe we'll see you for real, soon."
"Rose?" Jack asked, reaching out to the image, he knew he could never touch.
"Well, these people are friends of mine Jack. If they're in trouble, help them. Sarah Jane, K9, If Jack's in trouble, you help him. He's a nice guy once you get past the hyperactive libido."
The image faded away. "That wasn't the Doctor?" Jack asked.
"He regenerated." Sarah said simply, relaxing somewhat, now that she knew this man could, kind of, be trusted.
"We've got a lot to talk about." Jack replied simply.
"You got that right, especially about the cost of repairing my front door.
To be continued.