Very Cool
By: InitialA
Disclaimer and Note: I don't own Doctor Who. Back in July, while doing some quick grocery shopping, I found the new Doctor Who Adventures magazine and it comes with a very interesting little toy that I think the Eleventh Doctor would approve of with as much enthusiasm as TimeLordly possible. Hence, this story. Again, if this is posted under a name that is not InitialA (or my related livejournal), it is stolen and should be reported. Thanks, and enjoy. :)
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"Earth! The twenty-seventh century, London has ceased to exist, and there's just one huge, mega, ultra-metropolis that hasn't had a name yet but someday will be called the Central City. It's far enough into your future that any decisions you make about it won't matter at all, but try not to purchase anything will you?" The Doctor rattled off, flipping switches and twirling about the console.
Amy was leaning against the railing, watching him; Rory was below deck, reconnecting some wires that had come undone. "Like in Back to the Future, yeah? The book or whatever it was."
"Right, none of that. I'm watching every step you make, Amelia Pond, so try not to slip up."
"Oi!"
The TARDIS landed with her usual flourish of noise and a slight crash, and the Doctor practically skipped to the doors. Amy followed eagerly; Rory had to untangle himself from the TARDIS' insides before coming after them. The doors were flung open and Amy almost immediately started coughing from the pollution. The Doctor seemed fine as usual, and strolled into the alley where they'd parked with his hands in his pockets. "You'll get used to it, don't hack up a lung, Pond. I can't get you a new one. Well, not in this century. Well, not legally. Technically. Possibly. Maybe."
She drew her shirt up over her nose for the time being; Rory didn't seem to mind it much. She raised her eyebrows at him. He looked back at her. "You live through the peak of the Industrial Age and see where your pollution tolerance goes to."
"Ah."
The trio rounded the corner and found themselves in the middle of a river of humans. Instead of fighting it, they walked with them. Amy almost couldn't take it all in, the skyscrapers made almost entirely of glass, the metals both shiny and covered in years of grit, the colorful human life all around her; which is why she very nearly missed a familiar face on a magazine stand, but quickly back-stepped to get a better look. "Doctor! You might want to take a look at this!"
The Doctor and Rory came back for her, as she picked up the magazine; the first thing that astonished her about it was that it existed at all—weren't people saying at home that books and magazines and newspapers were going extinct before their very eyes?—but the second thing… It was the second thing that made her start to laugh.
The Doctor plucked the magazine out of her hands and gave it his usual bewildered once-over. "This is… this is… What? What is this? This is… this is amazing!"
"Care to explain why your face is on this magazine?" Amy asked, the laughter still in her voice.
"What is this, it's… 'Doctor Who Adventures'? That's what they're calling me, Doctor Who? That's absolute rubbish, I'm the Doctor! Not Doctor Who, what were they thinking… but THIS. This is very much yes interesting," the Doctor ripped the package off the front of the magazine, ignoring the indignant yell from the stand's owner.
Rory reached into the Doctor's front pocket and drew out the psychic paper. "Government magazine inspection, all routine. You'll be refunded," he said quickly. Amy smiled: her husband was quickly learning how things worked around here.
The stand owner grumbled, but let them go. The Doctor was extracting the item from the package, grinning like a child on Christmas. "Now, I don't know what this is all about, but this is fantastic."
Amy flipped through the magazine; there was an introduction section. She read aloud, "The mystery visitor to our planet is back again this week with an all-new adventure! Can Doctor Who and his plucky assistant-girlfriend Daisy defeat the new threat against Empire Earth, the dreadful TechGuys? Find out on Saturday, channel 48291, at 8pm. Complete fun puzzles and find out background information on the TechGuys and other evil aliens in this week's issue of Doctor Who Adventures, and help Doctor Who save the day."
"Wow. That sounds like completely rubbish science fiction fanfiction," Rory commented, looking over her shoulder.
"You're a television show, Doctor!" Amy couldn't hold back any longer, and started laughing again.
The Doctor wasn't even listening, instead was playing with what looked to be a miniature version of his sonic screwdriver. "This is brilliant!"
"Doctor, that is… an exact copy of your sonic. How is that possible?" Rory asked.
"I don't know! I must have done something here in the future-past, something that made them turn me into some superhero television character. I've been here before, they're big on television here, bigger than you lot," the Doctor replied, nearly breathless with excitement as he inspected the miniature.
Suddenly he laughed and jumped. "It's a squirt gun! That's brilliant why didn't I ever think of that? That's… cor blimey! The ingenuity of you humans!"
"Right, but shouldn't this be… some sort of problem, that everyone knows about you?" Rory asked.
"Well… maybe. Might have to go back and fix whatever I did. But I don't know what it was I did, because I haven't done it yet. I will someday. But, there's something more important we haven't discussed enough and that is that they turned my sonic into a squirt gun! Come on, you two, we're going back to the TARDIS." The Doctor whirled on the spot, remembered he was facing the wrong direction, and turned again, striding back to the alley.
Amy was catching her breath. "Back to the TARDIS? But we just got here!"
"More important things to do, Mr. and Mrs. Pond! I've got a new screwdriver to design."