A Dr. Who fanfiction, meant to take place in the middle of the 2014 season.
An unseen guitar twanged.
Atop a wooden derrick, the windmill's tight circle of blades weaved and spun in the wind. A scarecrow stood in a cornfield, a pale imitation of a man that did nothing to deter the hungry birds. Chickens scrabbled for the kernels; greedy pigs ate the husks. Behind the farmhouse stood a gray outhouse. Far off to the side could be seen the strong doors to a storm cellar.
The guitar played a single chord.
He sat on the wooden porch steps, his skin wrinkled and tough as old leather. He reached down idly and scooped a fistful of brown soil. He watched unblinking as the wind swept it away.
Another guitar chord played.
A small cloud of dust appeared at the end of the dirt road that ran, flat and straight as a ruler, through the prairie. The cloud drew closer, revealing a teen-aged boy, his powerful legs pumping furiously. He skidded his safety bicycle to a stop and let it fall over. "Mr. Quinn, Mr. Quinn!" he shouted, waving his hat. "He's coming this way!"
"Who's coming this way, Tommy?"
"The metal man, that's who!"
"Get Ada into the storm cellar!" Quinn shouted.
The guitar music came fast and angry as Tommy ran inside, emerging a minute later to lead a frightened young woman in a blue gingham dress outside and into the storm cellar. Tommy saw her down the steps first, and then, with a last glimpse around, slammed the doors closed after him.
Mr. Quinn, meanwhile, sprang to his feet. He fired his rifle into the air and, sticking his fingers into his mouth, emitted a loud, piercing whistle. Several grim men raced from the nearby fields, all carrying rifles themselves.
"Metal man's coming," Quinn explained.
They fanned out silently in front of the storm cellar, their rifles ready.
The guitar stopped. All was silence, except for the wind.
Another cloud of dust appeared on the horizon. It was the metal man, an android, although it's doubtful any of the farmers had ever heard the term. It resembled the inside of a man, as if the clothes and skin had been removed, leaving metal supports for bones, wires for veins, and strange electrical devices for organs.
The farmers fired their rifles. The bullets pinged harmlessly off its body. It pushed its way through the ranks of the defenders and smashed the storm cellar door.
There was a scream as it emerged a moment later, carrying Ada over one shoulder, Tommy desperately trying to pull her out of its grasp. "Let her go, you devil!" he shouted.
Ada twisted in his grasp, looking for help among the farmers. One raised his rifle, but Quinn swatted it down again.
"Don't fire, you fool! You'll hit Ada!"
No one could stop the android as it carried the screaming Ada between them….
…..
[The scene dissolved in a blast of electronic music, as the opening credits of Dr. Who flashed onscreen, concluding with the episode title: PROGRAMMED TO PERFORM.]
…..
"Morning, folks. Name's Sheriff Hill. And you are?"
"I'm Clara Oswald and this is the Doctor."
"Pleasure to meet you, Miss. What brings you to Grisaille?"
Clara opened her mouth, shut it quick, and opened it again. "Are you this abrupt with everybody?" she asked. "And why are you asking? Isn't this supposed to be a free country where anyone can go where they like?"
"Now, just hold on there," he said mildly. "As the lawman of a small town it's my business to know everybody's business, even in the best of times, which these ain't. Especially strangers who arrive so mysteriously. The train doesn't stop outside town except by special arrangement, so I know it didn't bring you here. You didn't ride in, either. As best as I can tell, you walked, which is pretty remarkable considering Grisaille is the only place within miles. But you don't look like you've walked much at all. Begging your pardon for saying so, Miss, but you look as fresh as a daisy, like you've just step out of a beauty salon."
Clara and the Doctor had been brought by the TARDIS, a time machine shaped like a London police box from the 1960's. When they had arrived, Clara had fixed herself to blend in better with America in the early Twentieth Century. She'd put on a vibrant red and black dress with a high collar and a long skirt, with her brown hair in ringlets held in place with numerous pins.
The Doctor, meanwhile, wore his usual dark blue coat and trousers and a white shirt.
"Now I've answered your questions," the sheriff said. "Time you explained yourself."
His quick eyes didn't miss the glance Clara exchanged with the Doctor. "Maybe you'd better show him… you know," Clara suggested.
"Right." The Doctor flipped open his wallet. "I think you'll find everything's in order, sheriff." The paper he showed was blank, but that's not how it appeared to the sheriff.
"A federal marshal," he said. "Well, I didn't think Teddy Roosevelt and his cronies in Washington had any interest in our problems. So, you're here about the metal man?"
The Doctor exchanged another look with Clara. "Suppose you tell us about this metal man?"
"First showed up a couple months ago," the sheriff explained, "in pretty dramatic fashion. It all started with a meteorite that lit up the night sky. At least, we figured it was a meteorite then, but now not everyone's so sure it wasn't something more…."
…..
The scene shifted to the crowded interior of a small church, as the sheriff continued his narrative in voiceover.
"The next day, being Sunday, Preacher Jenkins was in rare form as he shouted to his flock that the meteorite wasn't a natural event, but a sign form above. It was a judgement that the town was steeped in wickedness and that it was time for repentance. You could see a few of his most fervent believers fanning themselves in the front pews as if they could feel the flames of perdition drawing closer as he spoke.
"Well, he was getting himself pretty worked up when the church doors crashed down. That was the first we saw the metal man, and I don't know how to describe him much better than that, except to say he acted like a wound-up clockwork toy, although a hundred times more advanced than any I'd ever seen. He didn't say anything, but moved right up to the front, to where the preacher's wife, Stella, was sitting. She gave a scream as he lifted her and carried her back down the aisle!
"Of course, people jumped up then to block his way, but he batted them aside and continued on outside. He moved fast, faster than we could go, but we caught up with him and Stella at last.
"He had her all trussed up with ropes, they looked like, although of some material I'd never seen before. She was gagged, too, with a strip of cloth. It went between her lips, although she was trying to make all the noise she could, hollering for help. You see, he had her dangling down at the bottom of a well that was filling up with water that would cover her head pretty fast if someone didn't do something.
"Some folks went for the metal man, who was standing off to the side, not moving. They hammered at him with their fists or whatever they were carrying, but they gave it up when they realized they weren't even scratching him. Others went to help Stella. We thought that might bring the metal man back to life, but we hauled her up and got her untied without any interference. In fact, we were so busy with Stella that we didn't realize he'd vamoosed during the commotion.
"People talked about what it was all about for a long time, as you can probably guess. It seemed pretty hard to ignore the connection between the meteorite and the metal man's sudden appearance. And since Preacher Jenkins had been telling them it was a sign from above, and the metal man had gone straight for his wife, that naturally that started quite a bit of gossip.
"Others had different ideas. Someone suggested it might have been done by a touring show to attract attention to their performance. I thought that might be about right, as the whole thing had a pretty stagey feel to it, and certainly seemed like something you'd see in a melodrama. Only problem was, I didn't know of any group performing in the area.
"At any rate, it looked like the metal man was gone and that was the end of our troubles, but no. A few days passed and he showed up again at the hotel. He grabbed one of Miss Foyle's girls, named Rose. When we caught up with him this time, he had her bound and gagged just like Stella'd been, only in a different situation. He'd set a net full of rocks set to crush her when the rope holding them over her snapped, which it was slowly doing. We got her out of there just in time. Someone was alert to when the metal man went off this time, but it was as if he didn't want to be followed and put on a sudden burst of speed, going too quick to keep up with, even on horseback.
"That established the pattern we've been living with ever since. A few days pass, and the metal man shows up again. No one can stop him as he grabs another woman and puts her in another death trap. The most recent one was Ada Quinn from a farm a ways over. Tied her up in a barn and set it ablaze, and we just pulled her out in time. We've no idea why he's doing it, and don't know what to do to stop him."
The scene returned to the present, with the sheriff standing outside the sturdy building that served as his office and the county jail.
"But we need to stop him, because sooner or later we're going to be too slow to get to the rescue…."
…..
"Telegram, sheriff."
"Thanks, Tommy."
The Doctor, meanwhile, was speculating aloud. "The android is obviously a theatrical model, ejected from a ship…"
"A ship?" The sheriff shook his head. "We're miles even from a navigable river out here."
"That explains its arrival that appeared as a meteorite," the Doctor continued, seemingly unaware of the interruption. "It's following its programming, although it seems to be corrupted if it's targeting random subjects."
As he continued, Clara turned away. "Danny?" she asked in disbelief. "Danny Pink?"
"Seems your companion knows our local schoolteacher," the sheriff observed.
"Do I know you, Miss?" He took off his hat politely; certainly, he looked like Danny Pink.
"It's me, Clara Oswald," she said breathlessly. "Don't you recognize me?"
"Clara, it's not him," the Doctor said in an undertone.
"You do look familiar, Miss," Danny said. "Have we met somewhere before?"
Clara gently pushed the Doctor aside and walked a few steps away with Danny.
The sheriff chuckled at the Doctor's discomfiture. "Looks like they have some catching up to do… marshal."
Clara held Danny's arm tightly as she spoke. "Please, Miss, I've got some chores to do," he said at first, but eventually it became, "Why don't you come along with me, Miss Oswald?"
"Clara," she corrected him, loosening her grip a bit.
The sheriff watched them go. "Why don't you step inside my office?" he invited the Doctor. "Seems they'll be busy for a bit and we can discuss business. Be interesting to see what you make of that rope I told you about, along with the strips of cloth he used as gags. They're made of a funny material too."
"Yes, I'd better see that," the Doctor agreed.
"Where he's keeping it all I'd like to know. Same place as he's hiding out, most likely." He walked into his building and reappeared a minute later, frowning at the Doctor, who stood lost in thought. Clara and Danny moved farther away. "Coming inside?" the sheriff asked.
The doctor ambled into the grim building. A couple of young men, seemingly his deputies, slouched against a wall. "That's the marshal?" one of them asked.
"So he says," the sheriff answered.
They slapped their hands on the Doctor, pushing him up against the wall. "What's this?" one of them asked as he reached into a pocket.
"It's called a sonic screwdriver… look, why are you doing this?"
The sheriff took the gadget. "Don't know what that means, but I can see some fancy science must be behind it, just like what's making the metal man move. Maybe you know a whole lot more about him than you've said so far."
"I have an idea what he's about," the Doctor agreed. "I can help you stop him, if you'd tell your deputies to let me go."
"You sure are full of mysteries, stranger," the sheriff said, placing the sonic screwdriver on his desk. "One thing I know for sure, though, is that you're no US Marshal." He waved the telegram at the Doctor's face. "This message repeats what I was told before, that they ain't sending anyone, and that, while they don't say so direct, they don't believe our story about the metal man is all quite what we say it is."
"Half the problems in the universe are caused by bureaucrats sitting on problems," the Doctor observed.
The sheriff continued on. "You and your companion show up in Grisaille like you dropped from the sky. You claim to be a lawman, which you ain't, although I'd sure like to know where you got a marshal's badge." He placed the Doctor's wallet on his desk, next to the sonic screwdriver. "And you got this gadget that for all I know controls the metal man."
"It doesn't control the android, I mean, the metal man," the Doctor said, "although I'm sure I can use it to stop him."
The building door flew open and Tommy raced in. "Sheriff, the metal man's grabbed another one!"
"Put him in a cell!" the sheriff yelled, as the two deputies dragged the Doctor away, locking the door behind him. "Who's he got, Tommy?"
"It's that new lady who just showed up in town, Miss Oswald, I think they said her name is."
"Sheriff, you've got to let me out of here!" the Doctor shouted, rattling the iron door.
"She was walking with the schoolteacher," Tommy continued, "when he showed up like he does and just grabbed her. Nothing he could do to stop her!"
"Sheriff!" the Doctor shouted, as the sheriff and deputies ran out, leaving him locked in. "You can't leave me in here. I can stop the metal man. SHERIFF!"
The only person who heard his shouts, though, was young Tommy.
…..
Clara flung her hands out at the android who held onto her tightly as he raced far outside Grisaille. Her initial wild attacks had subdued. His arms were too powerful to elude, and striking his metal frame of course accomplished nothing. She now tried to reach into the interior to try to break or remove the controlling units.
The android abruptly changed direction, heading toward the shimmering lines of the railroad track. He moved directly onto the track that seemed to stretch out to infinity in either direction.
"You were prepared for this, I see," Clara grunted. She'd seen a neatly coiled rope nearby, held in place by a gray rock.
The android picked up the rope. Even with just one arm holding her, Clara could not wriggle from his grasp. "Perhaps I can short-circuit you." She grabbed a fistful of wires.
The android placed her on the track. Clara's fingers held onto the wires, but as he pushed her down her hands came away empty. Her neck lay on a cold rail. The android held her with one arm and a knee pressed into her stomach. With his mechanical strength that was enough to keep her in place as his other arm entwined the rope about her, binding her arms against her sides. He tied her ankles together as well, and finished by running connecting ropes up and down to both rails.
Clara screamed. The android placed a wad of cloth in her mouth and used another as a cleave gag. He seemed to ignore Clara's struggles to free herself as he moved to stand silently to the side.
All that could be heard were Clara's muffled grunts of exertion and the wind that never seemed to stop blowing.
Clara knew the android would not interfere with any rescue… at least he never had so far! She would emerge unhurt from her ordeal if someone came in time.
But no one seemed to be coming.
And then a faint sound reached her, one that steadily grew loudly.
The distinctive chugging of a steam locomotive drawing closer….
…..
"Tommy, what happened?"
The boy climbed into the sheriff's chair and idly picked up the sonic screwdriver. "The metal man grabbed Miss Oswald, like I said. What's this thing do?"
"It's called a sonic screwdriver. If you bring it to me, I can show you how it works."
"Suppose you tell me instead?" Tommy suggested.
"It can operate…." The Doctor trailed off, realizing the words he wanted to use would mean little to the boy. "Tommy, on distant planets there are many wonderful machines you can only imagine. The sonic screwdriver is a tool for them."
"You're talking about going to other planets?" Tommy's eyes opened wide. "I read a book once about some scientist who invented a metal that shielded things from gravity. He used it to go to the moon. Do you think we'll ever go to the moon one day?"
"Yes, Tommy, people will, although not by that method from H. G. Wells' book."
"I'd sure like to see someone on the moon," Tommy said wistfully.
"Well, Tommy, you'll see many amazing things in your life," said the Doctor, "and if you live to be a very old man indeed you'll see the technology developed not only to send someone to the moon, but even the means for you to watch it happen as you sit in your home."
"Wow!" said Tommy.
"Tommy, that sonic screwdriver can stop the metal man. If you'd give it to me…"
"It's no use," said Tommy. "You're locked up in the cell."
"Tommy, if you'd give it to me all the same…"
"Besides, it's too late," said Tommy. "Even if you could bust out, you'd never reach Miss Oswald in time. That metal man sure moves fast, and he's got her in whatever predicament he's planned for her now. Even the sheriff's going to have a hard time getting to her fast enough."
"Bobby, please, the sonic screwdriver!"
"Sure, here you go."
Tommy dutifully handed the device through the bars. The sonic screwdriver buzzed briefly and the cell door swung open. The Doctor raced out, hoping it wasn't too late….
…..
"Hurry up!" shouted the sheriff. "You know the metal man never leaves us much time to get to his captives."
They rode furiously, following the dusty trail the android had created through the plains. They were still far away from Clara, though, and the locomotive was roaring forward.
She pulled desperately on the ropes, hoping for help, not knowing the Doctor had been locked in a jail cell, nor that Tommy had just then released him.
She could see the cloud of dust before she could make out anything else. It was a rider on a horse, Danny Pink, following the metal man's trail. He could see her now, and rode his animal as fast as he could.
The train was racing forward as well, though.
"Come on, boy, faster!" Danny urged.
The train squealed, its wheels shrieking as the brakes applied. Although it was now slowing, Danny could see it would never stop before reaching Clara. At least, though, it gave him just a tiny bit more time.
He pulled up the horse abruptly, falling off rather than dismounting properly, and hurried to Clara's side. A slash of his knife released one rope, but she was still tied to the track, and the train was only feet away!
The sheriff and his men arrived just as the train reached Clara. They could see Danny pulling Clara away, but then the passing engine and cars blocked their view.
It wasn't until it finally passed that they saw her standing safely next to Danny.
…..
"Somebody stop that metal man before he gets away again!" the sheriff shouted.
At first, it seemed no one would respond to his command, but then the Doctor stepped forward. The sonic screwdriver buzzed, and the metal man abruptly stopped moving.
"Stranger, I don't recall releasing you from jail," said the sheriff.
"Just a minute, sheriff!" Clara blazed forward, her hands on her hips. "The Doctor has just stopped this threat to your village, doing in an instant what no one could do all this time and instead of giving him your thanks all you can do is talk about putting him in jail?"
"Clara, please," said Danny. "Calm down."
"No, I won't calm down. I want to know what the sheriff intends to do!"
The sheriff favored her with a rare smile. "I figure you know a whole lot more about this metal man than we could ever understand," he finally said. "If you can explain it simple, I'd like to know who he is."
"A machine following its orders," the Doctor explained. As he continued talking, the scene shifted, showing a carnival. Brightly colored tents and bunting filled a grassy meadow. Human (or nearly so) customers gawped and applauded as a metallic strongman lifted a set of weights, an android fire-eater breathed forth a red flame, and a robotic magician pulled a card seemingly from the air. The crowd purchased popcorn and candy floss from mechanical caricatures of humanity, and gave coins to others for rides on the Ferris wheel and merry-go-round, or for chances to win prizes by throwing darts at balloons or balls at milk-bottle pyramids.
In the center of it all, android actors filed onto a stage, their metal casings gleaming in the sunlight. The villain's casing made it appear as if he were dressed in a top hat and an opera cloak. He looked properly threatening as he wound ropes about the heroine, whose casing had her dressed in chic Edwardian fashion. The robotic hero arrived, almost too late, it seemed, but rescued her just in time after all, to the relief and applause of the crowd.
"Of course, not every venue requires them to look human," the Doctor explained, as the scene shifted back to the present. "The interior works well enough, though, whether as a human or anything else with two arms and legs and a head, like the… well, they're winged upright lizard people of… well, you don't know where. Or any of a hundred other sentient beings. So they are shipped separately, with the correct casing put on depending on the audience."
The sheriff shook his head. "I didn't understand much of that. How'd he get here?"
The Doctor shrugged his shoulder. "Jettisoned overboard. Who knows why, exactly? It was just your bad luck that he landed here. All he did was try to follow his programming. Since his acting partner wasn't available, he looked for alternatives."
"And how are we going to get rid of him?" Danny Pink asked.
"I'd like to know the answer to that myself," the sheriff admitted. "Can't help but feel he might start up again once you leave, stranger."
"So you are letting him go!" Clara exclaimed.
"Don't think I could keep him here even if I wanted," said the sheriff. "You folks leaving now?"
"Yes, we have to go," said the Doctor. "Come on, Clara."
"Clara, are you going too?" Danny asked.
"She can't stay here," the Doctor said tersely.
"Yes, that's true, but you don't have to be so harsh about telling him," Clara said. She took Danny aside and spoke quietly to him for several minutes.
"Well, I won't pretend I'll be anything other than glad to see you go, stranger," said the sheriff. "You'll take the metal man with you?"
"I'll make sure he gets back to the show," the Doctor promised, waving his sonic screwdriver. The android jerked back to life, causing everyone to step back nervously. "Don't worry, he won't cause you any trouble. You ready, Clara?"
Clara moved forward slowly and wiped her face with her handkerchief. "Yes, Doctor, let's go."
…..
NEXT TIME
"Put me down!" screamed Clara, wiggling unsuccessfully against the white ropes that bound her.
"Keep quiet!" It was tall, green, and scaly, and had wings like a bat. It followed the command by tying the ends of a white cloth behind Clara's neck.
Now that she was gagged, she could no longer form any coherent words, although she kept trying to speak as the monster lifted her and carried her away, the scene ending abruptly with the camera focused on her face….
[Ending theme music and credits.]