The Sarah Jane Adventures:
"Port in A Storm" pt. 4
by Vladimir Klaud
Sarah Jane was able to quietly slip one of her hands into one of her pockets and wrap fingers around her sonic lipstick. Doing her best to adjust it blindly and with only one hand, she brought it out and jammed it into where she hoped the Doctor's ear would be, simultaneously activating it.
It was close enough.
The Doctor screamed along with the device's high-pitched whine, then he dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes.
"Careful!" admonished the Master, running over to them. "I still have plans to move back into that body, you know! I hope you haven't just destroyed my eardrum."
"Desperate times," explained Sarah Jane. "So am I to believe that you and he have somehow swapped bodies?"
"Well, I didn't agree to it," said the Master. "But since when has a little thing, like not asking permission first, ever stopped the Master from doing as he pleases?"
"You are the real Doctor, then?"
"Not the one you know, I'm afraid, but yes. The Master and I are from a parallel world."
"That much he admitted already," said Sarah Jane, as the Master proceeded to examine the unconscious Doctor.
"He's still alive. Ear's not bleeding, that's a good sign. What are you doing with a sonic screwdriver, in the first place?"
"Sonic lipstick. My Doctor provided it to me, before he moved on."
"Brilliant lad. But then again, he is me. Well, your world's version of me, anyway. I only wish I had thought of that. My world's version of you might..."
The Master paused, realizing he was on the verge of saying too much.
"...Still be alive?" offered Sarah Jane. "Already know about that too, I'm afraid."
"I see. Suppose we find something we can use to tie him up while he's still in a co-operative state for that, eh?"
.
Evening had begun to fall. But Gwen, Rhys, and the kazipotowere back in the car, which was back on the road headed for the warehouse where Sarah Jane and the Doctor were last spotted. They brought small but powerful torches with them. Even so, they were aware that on that alone, it would still have been a miracle if they managed to stumble across the right direction to follow.
Fortunately, the kazipoto assured them that its sense of smell was acute, so there was a good chance it could lead them, bloodhound-style, directly to wherever Sarah Jane was to be found.
"Hang on, Sarah Jane," muttered Gwen. "We'll be there soon."
.
When the Doctor regained consciousness, he found his hands bound behind his back, and his ankles also strapped together. It was dark by then, and the only source of light was a nearby campfire. The Master and Sarah Jane were seated near it, quietly discussing something.
"Awake now, are you?" said the Master. "Why not inchworm a little closer to the fire? It is much more pleasant here."
The Doctor grinned a whynot?sort of grin, and did just that. The Master and Sarah Jane made no move to help him as he struggled over to them, then managed to sit himself up by the fire.
Making himself as comfortable as he could under the circumstances, he spoke.
"I should have remembered how resourceful Miss Smith can be, especially given that fact that this one has survived much longer than the one we both knew, eh, Doctor?"
"Well, if you're asking my opinion," said the Master, "I'd say it was your inability to keep from gloating which gave her the time she needed to bring you down. Wouldn't you agree, Sarah?"
Sarah Jane nodded. "Oh, indeed. In any universe, it seems the Master can't resist a bit of mustache twirling."
"Yes," said the Doctor. "Admittedly, I do have a fondness for relishing my moments of victory a little too much and a little too soon. I really must learn to contain myself until your defeat is a solid fact. Then I will have all the time in the world to celebrate."
"All academic now, I suppose," said the Master. "After we've each taken turns at sleeping and watching you, the plan is to get both of us back to our own world, swap us back into our correct bodies, and then put you in your receptacle as you were sentenced to be."
"Doctor!" spoke up Sarah Jane, suddenly on the alert. "Do you hear that? I think someone's coming."
"I believe you're right," noted the Master, at the sight of two strangers and an animal approaching the fire.
"We thought you might need help," said Gwen, surveying the trio seated around the fire and concluding that since the Doctor was tied up, Sarah Jane must have had the situation well in hand.
Rhys indicated the kazipoto. "Our friend, here, explained the whole thing. If you're done camping out, we can give you a ride back to the Rift."
.
The fire was quickly put out, and once everyone was back out of the woods, they piled into the car. The drive to the Rift was silent; no one felt much like speaking, nor much like listening to any opposing points of view, either.
Rhys parked the car as close as he could to the part where Gwen first spotted the Doctor, but the rest of the journey to that exact place had to be made on foot.
At last, the group stood before the area in question. But no one made a move toward it.
"I understand that it's a shot in the dark, and you might not end up back in your home universe," said Rhys. "But it still is your best shot. If the decision was mine, I'd take it. If it's not home, you could always come back, right?"
"Unless the world on the other side is a lake of molten lava," asked Gwen.
"That is an unpleasant possibility," said the Master. "And, unfortunately, one of an infinite amount of unpleasant possibilities."
"If my vote counts," said the Doctor, "I find this world quite pleasant enough for me. Especially considering what awaits me should our own world actually still be there behind this rift."
Sarah Jane faced the Master. "Doctor, if you did have a little more time, is there any way that you could reduce the uncertainty?"
"With a little more time?" said the Master. "Not likely. The amount of time necessary would be more than two universes can spare at this moment. For a number of reasons I don't care to go into just now. I'm afraid the Master and I, as well as my Ermadoleean friend, must simply stiffen our upper lips and head through. Come what may."
.
That's when the first completely unpredictable event took place. Something new chose that instant to emerge from the Rift. Something small and mechanical-looking slowly moved out amid a blaze of light.
"Master," it acknowledged, upon slowing to a stop before the group.
"K-9!" exclaimed the Master. "Good dog! But why are you here?"
"Dispatched to lend assistance."
"And not a moment too soon. But I am at a loss to understand..."
"Doctor," interrupted Sarah Jane, "Time, remember? You can look a gift robot dog in the mouth once you're safely back where you belong. Right now, I think we should say our goodbyes."
The Master nodded and smiled. "I've missed not having a Sarah Jane Smith around, you know."
"It's been a blast to see your old face, again, as well," said Sarah Jane, shooting a look at the Doctor. "Even if it was being worn by someone else. I'm just sorry that I may never know whether or not you've managed to remedy that problem."
.
That's when the second completely unpredictable event took place.
"Detecting massive energy surge inside interdimensional rift..." said K-9, rather urgently.
Then, like a wave crashing against a shore, the rift suddenly visibly lurched forward, engulfing the entire group before anyone could react - then it pulled them all into itself before retreating to its normal position, leaving the area dark, silent, and lifeless.
TO BE CONTINUED
