The case of the mysterious rock
It was early on a warm spring day a year after Jenny and Vastra had met, Jenny was outside sweeping the walk when young boy came running up. "Ma'am is this 13 Paternoster Row? I need Detective Vastra's help!" pleaded the boy.
"Now what's this about?" said Jenny kneeling to the kid's eye level.
"My dad's shop was broken into and a lead box with a glowing rock that kills things was taken. You must get Detective Vastra NOW!" cried the boy
"What is your name lad and what is your father's name?" asked Jenny
"Allen Smith, my father is John Smith." stated the boy.
"Come in and we will see what Madame Vastra can do." said Jenny taking the child by the hand. Jenny walked into the house and called for Vastra, noting she had a visitor. Vastra beckoned them into the drawing room where she sat veiled and looking over books.
"Madam Vastra this is Allen Smith, he has requested your help." stated Jenny in the normal protocol for a maid. Vastra looked from the boy and to Jenny and back. She detested small humans. "Mr. Smith stated someone broke into his father's shop and took a box of with a glowing rock that kills things." said Jenny.
The young boy took off his cap and a tufted of hair fell off his head. "Please Detective Vastra, my father was researching a weird stone he found in a lead box with a shipment of brass." stated the boy as he picked at a scab on his hand.
"Child why is your hair falling out?" asked Vastra again giving Jenny a look of 'why did you let this thing in?'
"Don't know, it just started happening a few weeks after my dad got the glowing rock. The rock just seemed really hot, but there was nothing to heat it. Please the big bad man with a metal face trashed the shop! My dad has been sick so he could not fight him off." stated the boy.
"How was he sick? Cold and flu?" asked Vastra, now she was curious.
"Puking, and hasn't left the loo in days." replied the boy.
"Jenny fetch some tea and biscuits. Excuse me for a moment I must fetch a detective tool." stated Vastra.
Jenny caught her in the hall as she ran down the cellar. "Vastra what's going on?" asked Jenny.
"I have a feeling there is something going awry and I need a tool to confirm my suspicions." stated Vastra to Jenny. She returned from the cellar a moment later with a glowing hand held device. Jenny looked at her and the tool "I will explain later." stated Vastra as she rushed back to the boy. Jenny followed with tea and biscuits and Vastra sat down beside the boy and started scanning him. The boy looked at her as if she was about hurt him.
Jenny saw the boy's questioning look. "It's okay Madam Vastra is only gather the information she needs to help you" stated Jenny observing the focus in Vastra's eyes. Vastra looked up and gave a look of thanks as the boy calmed down and ate a biscuit.
"Just as I suspected" stated Vastra looking over her scanning device.
"What is it? Will you help us?" asked the boy.
"Yes, most certainly, I am on the case." stated Vastra as she got up "Jenny I will need my coat and the coach. Boy where do you live?" said Vastra grabbing a pad of paper and turning back to the child.
Vastra and Jenny got into her coach and the boy jumped up with the footman to direct him where to go. "What is that device? And what is wrong with that boy?" questioned Jenny
"This is a scanning tool. It can be used to gather information, medical diagnostics, maps, and display information on all sorts of topics. That boy is suffering from exposure to a rare and dangerous metal and I can only assume his father is as well. I need to scan his home to confirm it, but this 'glowing rock in a lead box' should not exist to humans for another twenty years and certainly not to this concentration for another fifty." said Vastra reviewing the data on her scanner. Vastra then looked up and into Jenny's eyes. "I have a vault full of technology, elements, and oddities that you will not understand. Many of them are my Silurian tools; some are what I have collected through my work. But these are some of the secrets I hold. Do you understand?" stated Vastra in a calm, but serious tone.
"Yes, miss. And never a word of it will cross my lips outside your home." Replied Jenny confidently.
The carriage stopped in front of a shop riddled with broken glass. "Come, this way" said the boy jumping down from the carriage. Vastra and Jenny followed the boy into the shop where a sickly looking man and woman were attempting to board up the broken window. The shop was small and filled with brass and tin smiting equipment including a small furnace for casting the metals. Most of the work benches and equipment were scattered on the floor or broken and there were, burn marks in random patterns over everything.
The sickly looking man approached and offered his hand. "Father this is Detective Vastra and her maid." stated the boy. Jenny followed Vastra in and started looking over the room as Vastra went over to talk to Mr. Smith.
"That's very good Allen go help your mother." said the sickly looking man. "I'd offer you some tea, but we are a bit short around here. I here you're the best detective this side of London. I can't offer much, but whatever brass fittings or metal work you need will be my pleasure if you can get that rock back for me." stated Mr Smith.
Vastra raised her scanner and started walking around the room taking readings. "I'm not sure that would be wise for you to have the box and the rock back, but we will find out who stole it from you. Now why don't you tell me how you came to poses such an odd stone?" stated Vastra
Mr Smith went on to speak of how it came in with a crate of brass scraps a few weeks ago. He had not ordered it, but noticed all the bugs and vermin would disappear when it was around, so he kept it around. He handled it with his brass working tools and found it to be very hot without any reason. No flame, nothing to make it hot. Then how just last night a strange man with a mrtal face and an odd riffle broke in and fire blasted up the shop before punching his hand through the floor boards to the hidden spot where the box and rock were kept.
"Well Mr Smith I can assure you I will find answers." stated Vastra as she finished taking her readings. "Come Jenny, I need to review these findings." said Vastra.
They got in their coach and road back down the long London streets home. "Come Jenny into the cellar." Stated Vastra
"Shouldn't we be going over your find-ins?" said Jenny following Vastra down into the cellar. Vastra moved an old picture aside to reveal a key pad where she put in a code and a hidden door in the floor popped open. "Your Silurian secret vault I suppose?" said Jenny sarcastically watching Vastra descend another flight of stairs into the underground vault. She quickly returned with what looked like a squeegee with a blue light across the blade.
"Stand still." said Vastra as she swept the blue slight over Jenny
"Don't we need to review what we gathered?" stated Jenny again more firmly. Vastra swept the blue light over Jenny's other side and around her head and feet.
"What we need to do is decontaminate, that room was full of radioactive dust. Those people were ill, because they have radiation poisoning. As I suspected someone has brought weapons grade uranium to Victorian London and further more someone just took it back. Now take this and sweep it over me, do not miss an inch." replied Vastra firmly as she swept the tool over herself and then handed it to Jenny to get her back
"Weapons grade what? And if we need to decontaminated, don't they?" said Jenny as she used the tool on Vastra.
"No, the technology I have is centuries ahead this time period. It is dangerous enough that I use it around you. Send them word to give every inch of their home and themselves a good washing and to eat fresh fruit and beats, and to have a daily dose of brewer's yeast for the next week. Those are the best treatments available at this time. It is bad enough someone brought technology from 50 years in the future to this time period and it ended up in that man's home. I should not have to explain to you what would happen if any of my technology got out." Said Vastra sternly as she stashed her decontamination tool in the vault and locked it back up.
"Sorry, but I appen to work for and am date-in a lizard woman from the dawn of time, who taught me fencing and happens to live in down town London." replied Jenny sarcastically as she followed Vastra back up the stairs and into the drawing room.
Vastra looked back at her and took a deep breath, "I'm sorry I have been short with you, you deserve better than this. You must forgive me I am use to working alone on cases and while I trust you, I cannot emphasize the seriousness of the technology I hold and what is down in that vault." said Vastra remorsefully
Jenny looked at her forgivingly "The burn marks were almost a quarter of an inch deep on the floor and up to half an inch deep on the walls and had ash in them, as if an intense fire was placed on the spots and then removed, but there was not a cinder outside of the burns. Also the hole in the floor that looked like it had been struck with something rather big and heavy like a sledge hammer or somth-en, no man could have made that hole by punching it." said Jenny offering information.
"Directed burn marks without soot you say?" asked Vastra curiously at what her maid had observed. "That actually confirms ones of my readings. I found trace amounts of charged particles consistent with energy weapons. So that means most likely they used phaser weapons. Come here." said Vastra and she showed Jenny the readings on her scanner. She pointed to a picture of a line glowing around the hole in floor and some numbers and words in Silurian. "The 'sledge hammer' –hole you noted left trace amounts of oxides on the edge that should not be here. But from data I have from a friend it is possible we are dealing with an enemy from the future. We need to go to the metal scrap yard this afternoon to investigate." stated Vastra grinning, she loved getting into a new case and the fact that Jenny was helping her made it all the more enjoyable.
Their coach took them down to the metal processing section of the Thames river and dropped them off they would need to be on foot to investigate and interview. "So what are we looking for? A metal man?" asked Jenny as they started walking through the work areas, Vastra started scanning looking for uranium.
"Possibly or the rock, or someone who might have known of the rock or even the box it was contained in." replied Vastra
They walked up and down the docks until they came up on a man loading a cart of lead plates. "Pardon me sir, my master Detective Vastra was wondering if you worked with any boxes made of lead in the last month or so?" approached Jenny.
"Not aye, but if you talk to the old man in the casting shop about a block down he might be able to help you. Now run along miss, it be dangerous about eer." said the man in a Scottish cockney accent.
They wondered down to the casting shop where a sweaty, dirty; nearly toothless old man was at work casting and finishing lead plates and rods. Vastra stood back in a shadow and had Jenny go forward to talk to the old man. "Pardon me sir, have you many any lead boxes this month?" asked Jenny innocently
"Made many things this month, many things for many men; one for a man with a metal face and hands." said the old man not bothering to look up.
"What did you make for this man with metal hands and face?" asked Vastra stepping forward out of the shadow, but still wearing her veil.
"The strange man with metal hands wanted a thick block with a bowl and a lid he did… the bowl was more block than bowl. Wanted it in a crate of scrap brass" said the old man as he pulled a plate from a mold. "The man ordered it one day, paid with a small chunk of gold and wrote down where to have it sent too. Man over paid… man had a voice as strict as an old school teacher though it kind of echoed and had a lisp." said the old man looking up and into space. "Not sure if the crate ever got to where it was going… I had a boy run the box to the brass yard to be packed." Then the man shuffled over to another part of the building out of site.
"That is all I need for now." stated Vastra taking one more reading with her scanner.
"That man didn't seem the most right in the head" said Jenny as they walked back to meet their carriage.
"He has lead in his brain; it can drive a person mad if they are exposed to it long enough and in high enough quantities. Though lead can be used to stop radiation and even used to shield elements like uranium from being detected. Hence why who ever has brought the material to this time has hidden it in a thick lead box." stated Vastra as they got into the carriage and started moving along.
"Will you be needing dinner tonight? Just so I can plan for when we get home." asked Jenny
"Yes, something simple." said Vastra,
Upon getting home Jenny promptly put meat and potatoes on to boil as Vastra settled in at the table with her scanner, books and notes. Jenny tried to help her relax at dinner, but Vastra's mind was focused in on the case. This was Jenny's ironically new life as girlfriend of the great detective Vastra; now and then accompanying her on cases, joining her at meals and keeping a good home as well as practicing combat skills with Vastra. While a busy life, the young maid found it exciting and fulfilling.
Jenny cleared the table, did the washing up and just before she went to bed in her room just off the kitchen she checked on Vastra who had moved to the drawing room still firm into her studies. "Good night Miss, don't stay up to late, there will be plenty of time to crack the case in the morning." said Jenny before she went to her room.
That night happen to be an unusually cold night for spring with howling winds and rain. Vastra could not sleep; her mind was racing, processing the data from the day. As the clock struck mid-night Jenny had awoken to feed the fire in the stove to help keep the house warm when she noticed a light on in the drawing room. "Ma'am are you still up?" asked Jenny softly, she was in her night gown, slippers and robe with her hair down and flowing over her shoulders. Vastra was still in the drawing room fully dressed, reading through books and her scanner readings.
"I'm sorry, how late is it?" replied Vastra shaken from her deep thought.
"Just past mid-night, come on, let's get you to bed, you'll catch cold being down eer alone without even a blanket." said Jenny warmly offering a hand.
Vastra's brain was still deeply focused. "Silurian's rarely get colds…" said Vastra as her mind tried to focus back in.
"Most Silurian's don't ave a house companion they ave already upset once in 24 hours, so as being the only one on the planet I think you should listen to me and come with me to bed. I'll even stay the night with you…to keep you warm" replied Jenny stretching out an open hand to her reptilian girlfriend. Since they had pronounced their desires for each other nearly a month before she had gotten Vastra to give in a few times with offers of night long cuddles.
"Well my dear, if you're going to keep me warm, then I most certainly will not catch cold." replied Vastra, part of her still wanted to work, but how could she turn down her companion. Jenny had a way of making offers she could not refuse and for an ape she was so cute sometimes. She took Jenny's hand and they went up stairs to the master bedroom. Jenny helped her shed her heavy, but proper corset and gown, though she went behind a dressing screen to remove her shemise (Victorian area slip) and dawn her night gown. While they both might have fantasized of closer contact, neither was ready for it. There was so much to their relationship common interests, drives, communication, understanding, physical attraction and potential; Jenny brought Vastra great peace as well as being a partner (though she was still getting use to it) and Vastra brought out great strength in Jenny and a greater sense of safety than she had felt in years.
They entered the large four post bed from opposite sides meeting in the middle and embraced, sharing a quick kiss. "Now isn't this better than sitting in a cold room, reading some old book?" smirked Jenny as she pulled the covers up around them and then turned over so Vastra could hold her.
"You are right as usual." said Vastra nuzzling her nose to the back of Jenny's neck and holding her from behind, casually draping her arm over the smaller woman's mid-section. "Good night my wonderful mammal" said Vastra drifting off to sleep.
"Good night my lizard woman" said Jenny, to which she got lightly tickled in response "Oh stop it!" giggled Jenny swatting Vastra.
Vastra honestly enjoyed feeling Jenny squirm with glee when she got tickled. A nerve response she never observed before in Silurian women, how the mammal could almost have a jolt to their system equal to a shock, but find it so enjoyable amazed the reptilian. "You know you like it" smiled Vastra with her eyes shut while giving her girl a gentle squeeze.
"I'll get you back the next time we practice swordsmanry." retorted Jenny as she closed her eyes and started to drift off to sleep.
"I'm counting on it." whispered Vastra and with that both women were out. And while they did turn over to re-adjust as all couples do, they never lost contact. An arm over a belly, a hand on a thigh, hands being held as noses touched. And as the sun rose the next day as they had been the first night they woke up with Jenny's head on Vastra's chest and Vastra's arms around the smaller woman.
Jenny gave Vastra a squeeze and Vastra happily squeezed back and ran her hands over Jenny's back as Jenny's finger tips lazily stroked Vastra's sternum. "Appen to crack the case or get any new leads last night?" asked Jenny listening to Vastra's heart.
"I believe we might be dealing with a cyberman from the 7th face of the Doctor." replied Vastra enjoying running her fingers through her girlfriends hair.
"7th face of Doctor who?" asked Jenny puzzled
"An old friend who has had many faces and will have many more before his life is done. A Doctor of space and time who helped me find a better path. But if we are truly dealing with a cyberman we have reason to fear…" said Vastra relaxed, but still serious and she went on to tell Jenny about what she knew of cybermen.
The bigger question was of course why, was there a cyberman in Victorian London with of all things a block of uranium. They would not have to wait long to at least find the cyberman, earlier the previous evening Vastra had sent out word for Scottland yard to keep an eye out for strange metal men and that morning a telegram came in an noted a few diggers had seen an odd metal man heading into the London underground relatively close to the metal working area of the Thames.
In the drawing room Vastra rolled out a map, we would most certainly need Jenny's help. "The only thing I know that can stop a cyberman in this time period is heavy liquid metal and industrial equipment. It we are to have any hope of destroying it we must get it to follow us back into the foundry area with the presses, forges and casting equipment. The room with the most presses is here." stated Vastra pointing to a particular spot on the map "This is code name: 'tardiris one'. You must remember this."
Jenny carefully studied the map and had it memorized in a flash. Then Vastra and Jenny grabbed their swords and Vastra in her kimono and Jenny in her knickers and vest road in their carriage close to the opening noted by the telegram, then after 200 yard walk down the newly completed section of the London underground they found a second generation cyberman digging a hole in the wall and the infamous lead box was beside him. They approached carefully in the shadows "Jenny have you ever played rugby?" whispered Vastra
"Once or twice when I was younger." replied Jenny also in a whisper, but the cyberman heard her and turned. He pointed his blaster and fired.
"Get the ball and run to tarderis one. I'll hold it off." yelled Vastra as they closed with the cyberman. Jenny slid like a footballer tackling an opponent, grabbed the box and took off running as Vastra started fighting off the cyberman, she managed to break his blaster with her sword and then ran as well.
The cyberman chased and before any of them knew it they were in a stamping plant in the metal works beside the Thames. Large pressed and metal working equipment clanged and smashed around them. The workers fled as Jenny, followed by Vastra, followed by the cyberman ran through the shop.
"That box is key to the survival of the cybermen. You will return it." said the cyberman in its mechanical voice.
"I don't think so" said Vastra coming between Jenny and the cyberman again. The cyberman stepped forward and Vastra sliced at him and broke her sword on him. She began grappling, but he was too strong and was starting to snap the bones in her arms. "Jenny don't let him get the box, for the good of the Empire!" screamed Vastra
"You mean this met-al box?" yelled Jenny from across the room standing just in front of a large heavy press.
"You will return our box." stated the cyberman who quickly closed with Jenny.
With timing like clockwork Jenny dove through the strikes of the press and tumbled to the other side lead box in hand. The cyberman dove, but was not so lucky and was crushed. An eye ball and guts popped out of the metal casing that made up his body. Jenny ran back to Vastra who was on her knee's clutching her broken forearms.
Then a blue Police box materialized with an odd woosh-ing sound.
"Vastra, you wouldn't have seen a metal man who should not really be in this time period, would you?" asked the 7th Doctor poking his head out of the Tarderis.
Vastra motioned toward a metal man crushed under a large metal press. "Eww, well I would love to stay and chat, but I kind of need to get this fellow back to where he belongs." said the 7th Doctor jumping out of the tarderis, he ran over sonic-screw-drivered the press that released the now dead cyberman and dragged what was left of the cyberman back into the tarderis. The tarderis disappeared, but re-appeared a moment later. And the 7th Doctor poked his head out again. "Also before I go, you wouldn't happen to have come across a chunk of uranium? Might have been left in a lead box? I took care of the metal man, but I need the uranium he stashed for some vial fellows over in Germany a few decades from now." said the 7th Doctor. Then he saw Jenny holding Vastra who was still on the ground and in great pain.
"Oh, hello 'not vastra-girl', sorry to interrupt, but that looks painful" said the 7th Doctor. He pulled out his sonic and ran it over Vastra's arm. "There you go, might need a week or two, but the bone is back together!" stated the 7th Doctor
"Jenny, this is the Doctor. Doctor this is my companion Jenny Flint" said Vastra as Jenny tenderly helped her to her feet.
"Ah well Miss Flint, unless you want to vomit and be more burned than Vastra's cooking I suggest you hand over the lead box and the uranium." said the 7th Doctor in the typical jovial tone of a Doctor who just solved a case.
"I will return it to the middle of an explosive headed to a desert in Nevada, where it came from. There is a man named Oppenheimer who is missing it." said the 7th Doctor in his usual cheery child-like voice.
"Better there than here." said Vastra. Jenny handed the Doctor the box, the uranium still safely inside.
"Oh and Vastra…" stated the 7th Doctor and then he motioned to Jenny and winked. Vastra raised an eyebrow, though Jenny did not take notice. She was still processing being chased by a metal man who got squashed by a press, the tarderis, the funny man Vastra called "Doctor" and why Vastra was giving him the odd and dangerous chunk of metal.
"I am guessing whatever explosive being taken to Nevada is another thing I should not worry about, because it takes place pretty far in the future?" asked Jenny helping Vastra back to their waiting carriage.
"The Doctor in his many faces has been part of and will see many battles for earth. This planet has more secrets and more importance in the Universe than anyone currently or in the near future will know." stated Vastra.
Summary: A Second generation cyberman, a chunk of uranium and a brief appearance by the 7th Doctor. Need I say more…