Chapter 8
It's a hoax!
To Downing Street, Indra worked on his computer. Harriet Jones entered then the room and put down a cup of coffee on his desk before standing proudly as if she waited for something.
"I bet no one's bought you a coffee." She explained.
"Thank you"
"Pleasure." She says while waiting.
"You still can't go in." Explained Indra by pointing towards the office of the Secretary.
"Damn, you've seen through my cunning plan." She made fun.
"Look, I'm sorry. It's just impossible."
"Not even for two minutes?" She pleaded.
"No"
"I don't get many chance to walk these corridors. I'm hardly one of the babes, just faithful back bencher. And I know we've had a brave new world land right on our doorstep, and that's wonderful. I think that's probably wonderful. Nevertheless, ordinary life keeps ticking away. I need to enter this paper." She explained in taking out a file of her bag.
At the same time, the door of the office opened and the new automatic Prime Minister went out of it, followed by two other people of earlier.
Harriet rushed to him to tighten him her paper.
"Oh! Mr. Green, sir, I know you're busy, but could you put this on the next cabinet agenda?" She asked.
"What is it?"
"Cottage hospitals… I've worked out a system whereby cottage hospitals do not have to be excluded from centre of excellence. You see, my mother's in the Flydale infirmary. That's my constituency, tiny lisle place, you wouldn't know it, but to give me a chance to… "
"By all the saints!" Cut Mr. Green. "Get some perspective, woman! I'm busy." He grumbled in leaving the room, followed by two others.
Harriet remained one moment, congealed, completely shocked by the violence of the Prime Minister. Indra took her jacket and hurried to join the others. He sent a last look to the old woman before leaving.
This one looked the paper in the defeat before noticing that the office had remained open. There was nobody in the area, she was no able to resist, it was the only chance that her paper is read.
She entered the office of the Secretary and closed the door behind her. Noticing a suitcase, she put her paper above, then decided to open the suitcase to put it to it inside. She stopped when she saw that it contained the emergency protocols. She sat at the table and began to read the emergency papers.
Farther, in the hospital where the body to find in the Thames was kept, the young forensic scientist worked on a small table.
Lit only by a small bedside lamp, she tried to concentrate when a noise rings. She didn't really pay attention but the noise rings again, a little more hardly.
The young woman raised the head and looked around her to determine the source of the sound. But there wasn't anyone. The noise rings again and the young woman could say that it came from the cold room where was locked the body.
She got up slowly and went to the container. The noise became more and more frequent and strong. She moved forward carefully, a little bit reluctant to discover what it meant.
When they had landed, the Doctor made a sign to the young woman to be silent. She shook the head to confirm that she had understood but she could not refrain from being excited. The Time Lord opened the door in a grating and allowed to pass the young woman after him. They were apparently in a cupboard; it was so small. They made a way towards the door and the Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver. He used it briefly against the door but the object made a hideous noise.
"Shhh!" Made the Doctor to his screwdriver.
The young woman smile. She could not refrain from laughing at his behaviour so childish.
The medic still advanced, slowly and carefully. She took her courage in two hands and still approached. There were only one meters between her and the cold room. She held out carefully the hand to reach the bolt which closed the container. She wanted to know what caused this noised. No matter the fear she felt.
The door finally open, the Doctor opened it in wide and made one step outside with Jessica before they both congealed. They had just entered a room fills with soldiers discussing. However, a thinking silence had settled down when they noticed their presences. They looked one second before each seizes the weapon and points them at the Doctor and Jessica.
This one was not reassured by the whole, but tried to remain calm. She gave a look on the Doctor who did not really seem to know how to react either. He was only smiling, as to try to relax the atmosphere.
Of quite the rooms of this hospital, they had to land here, thought Jessica. The, we heard a shout. The Doctor reacts immediately.
"Defense part delta! Come on, move, move!" He shouted.
The Doctor had taken Jessica by the hand and had embarked her with him on a running though the hospital. The soldiers followed them, ready-to-wear clothing help. That is when Jessica understood what Rose felt. We might afraid of the danger or lose its life, the adrenalin was so lively and beside the Doctor, we are more afraid of nothing…
If her memory and her sense of direction were still good, Jessica could say that they went to the mortuary. The Doctor entered, followed, closely by the young woman. He had not still left the hand. They discovered then a young woman, certainly a forensic scientist, curled up in a corner, a weapon in the hand. The Doctor squats near her to verify if she was alright.
"It's alive!" She exclaimed
"Spread out. Tell the perimeter it's a lock down" Ordered the Doctor to the soldiers.
These seemed to hesitate. The Doctor was a perfect stranger for them and nevertheless, he gave them orders. Was it necessary to follow them?
"My God, it's still alive" Continued the woman, panicked.
"Do it!" Still ordered one time the Doctor to the soldiers who moved immediately.
The soldiers began to run throughout the building, checking each room to secure the perimeter. They entered every room, pointing their guns but the alien was not there.
"Hey, it's okay..." Try to reassure Jessica
"I swear it was dead." Panicked the young woman.
"Coma, shock, hibernation, anything ... What does it look like?" the man asked.
Then a noise was heard. The Doctor turned quickly towards the source of the noise, while the two women jumped.
"It's still here!" Said the Doctor, surprised.
He got up, motioned for a soldier to enter and stay near the girls up its signal. There was another noise and the Doctor knelt. Jessica began to worry about him.
"Be careful." She whispered.
The Doctor continued to approach. He put his head near a table and stopped. Jessica could have sworn he heard a groaner pig.
"Hello!" Said Doctor.
Unfortunately, this frightened the creature and ran away screaming. The soldier next to Jessica raised his gun, ready to shoot, but she got up to stop him.
"Don't you dare." She ordered.
The little pig in space passed her screaming. She blinked several times. Had she seen? The Doctor seemed less disturbed and ran after him. Jessica recovered from his shock and rushed after him.
In the hallway, several military stand to make custody. Suddenly, a pig ran toward them, screaming. It was a pig that stood on two legs and dressed in a spacesuit. The soldier raised his weapon and fired. The animal fell to the ground.
The Doctor then appeared in the corridor, a second later.
"Why did you do that for?" He exclaimed. "It was scared!"
He knelt near the creature to appease as he could in his pain. He looked again at the soldier, disgusted.
"It was scared! "
The young woman running through the halls to get to the Doctor; when a shot was suddenly heard. Jessica stopped abruptly, suddenly her blood freezing in her veins. She was afraid. She did not want anyone to get hurt. Especially not the Doctor.
She set off again to see a distressing spectacle. The Doctor was crouched to the side of the little animal that had just been shot.
"... It was scared!" Doctor accused angrily.
He stroked the snout of the poor creature to soothe and help from. Jessica is also knelt beside them, sad for the animal. It had done nothing wrong after all.
At 10 Downing Street, Harriet Jones always reads emergency protocols when voices were heard. She hastened to arrange the paper and close the suitcase and ran to hide in a closet.
The General, the Prime Minister, Margaret and Oliver then entered the office. The General was about to scold the Minister.
"...Furthermore, we can only assume that the Prime Minister's disappearance is the direct result of hostile alien action. And what have you been doing? Nothing."
"Sorry! Sorry. Uh… I thought I was Prime Minister now." Mr. Green said.
"Only by default" Replied the General.
In her closet, Harriet was present at the whole scene.
"Oh, that's not fair! I've been having such fun." Exclaimed Mr. Green like a child.
"You think this is fun?!"
"It's a hoot, this job"
"Honestly, it's super" Confirmed Margaret.
They start every three to laugh when one of the three let out a fart unsightly. Oliver was surprised but proud.
"Oh! S'cuse me." He said
The three then went to a concert farts laughing madly like crazy. The General, who was in front of them, looking at them, completely dumbfounded by the spectacle they offered. It was distressing.
"What's going on here?" He demanded. "And where's the rest of the cabinet? Why haven't they been air lifted in?"
"Cancelled it. They'd only get in the way. "Mr. Green explained. "Oh, there I go." He added before flatuler again.
They set out again to let go of the gas loud laughing madly happy.
"Oh! And me! I'm shaking my body" Exclaimed Margaret.
They laughed again. From his hiding place, Harriet was shocked.
"Sir! Under section 5 of the emergency protocols, it is my duty to relieve you of command." Solemnly declared the General. "And by God, I'll put this country under martial law if I have to."
"Oh! I'm scared." Laughed Mr. Green walked in the General. "I mean, that's hair raising. I mean, literally. Look!"
The man put a hand on his forehead and slid a zipper. A blue light came out of the opening. The General, completely shocked, looked at the other two people in the room to gauge their reaction. Only, they did exactly the same and now had opened the front.
Harriet saw everything from his hiding place. She saw creatures address the General. Shock, she closed her eyes and tried to restrain a cry of terror. It was awful.
The doctor, Jessica and the medical examiner were found in an examination room, before the body of the deceased animal.
"I just assumed that's what alien's look like. But you're saying it's an ordinary pig? From Earth?" Asked the young woman.
"More like a mermaid. Victorian showmen used to draw the crowds by taking the skull of a cat and gluing it to a fish and calling it a mermaid. Now, someone's taken a pig, opened up its brain, stuck bits on… then they strapped it in that ship and made it drive bomb. It must've been terrified. They've taken this animal and turned it into a joke." He continued with bitterness.
"So it's a fake. A pretend. Like the mermaid." Asked the medical examiner, as it approached the body. "But the technology augmenting its brain… It's like nothing on Earth. It's alien. Aliens are faking aliens." She thinking. "But why would they do that…?" She asked, turning to the empty space where was the doctor and Jessica. "Doctor? Miss?"
The young woman sought in the corridor calling them again, but it was received that not a strange noise, creaking, and a strong breeze. They had disappeared.
Rose was slumped in a Chair in his corner while Jackie and all guests raised their glasses to celebrate the arrival of the aliens.
"Here's to the Martians!" Exclaimed Jackie
"The Martians!" Repeated the others.
They were all happy, until a young boy face its appearance to the entered. A silence settled. Rose then lifted his head to see what had caused to silence suddenly. Seeing who was there, she sat up strongly.
"I was gonna come and see you." Rose declared.
"Someone owes Mickey an apology." Said a woman.
"I'm sorry." Rose apologized.
"Not you." The woman corrected turning towards Jackie.
"It's not my fault. Be fair. What was I supped to think?"
Jackie sent one last look to Mickey before going in the kitchen.
A few minutes later, Rose, Mickey and Jackie found their way into the kitchen to talk in peace.
"You disappear, who do they turn to?" Mickey asked, angrily. "Your boyfriend! Five times, I was taken in for questioning. Five times!" he exclaimed, showing four fingers. "No evidence, of course there couldn't be, could there. And then I get her, your mother." He says showing Jackie. "Whispering around the estate, pointing the finger, stuff through my letterbox, and all'cos of you."
"I didn't think I'd be gone so long." Said Rose.
"And I waiting for you, Rose! Twelve months. Waiting for you and the Doctor to come back."
"Hold on, you knew about the Doctor?" Jackie exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Mickey began to hesitate, not knowing what to say. He saw invite them who watched through the window of the kitchen leading to the living room and through the door. He hastened to close them for more privacy.
"Yeah, yeah. Why not, Rose? Huh? How could I tell her where you went?"
"Tell me now." Jackie ordered.
"I might as well, 'cos you're stuck here. The Doctor's gone. With another girl. Just now, that box thing just faded away."
"What do you mean?" Rose asked.
"He's left you. Some boyfriend he turned out to be."
Rose took his jacket which was behind the door and went into type. No, he could not do that. He had not deserted him. And Jessica? It was a party with him. She did not know much, but it would never have done it.
Mickey began pursuit of Rose, wanting explanations. He had not finished with it.
In the TARDIS, Jessica had crossed arms and watched the doctor fidgeting on the console. She was sad because of recent events and it seemed to him that the doctor was pissed. There was something, after all.
"I'm sorry for what happened..." She declared.
He did not respond.
"What do we do now?"
"We will pick up Rose and let's look at the problem. Why would they do a decoy?" He exclaimed.
The young woman shrugged, she knew strictly nothing.
Rose and Mickey were outside, where the TARDIS had been previously. Rose sought around her, hoping to see the box parked elsewhere.
"He wouldn't just go, he promised me." Rose said.
"Oh, he's dumped you, Rose. Sailed off into space with another girl." Mickey said, reveling in the situation. "How does it feel, huh? Now you are left behind with the rest of us Earthlings. Get used to it."
"But he would have said."
"What're you two chimps going on about?" Jackie asked, joining them. "What's going on? What's this Doctor done now?"
"Ha, ha, ha! He's vamoosed!" Mickey exclaimed, laughing.
"He's not! 'Cos he gave me this!" She said pointing to the keys to the TARDIS. "He's not my boyfriend, Mickey, he's better than that. He's much more important. And this is not another girl, she's Jessica and she's my friend!" Rose defended when she suddenly stopped looking at his hand.
Mickey also watched his hand which held the key to the TARDIS. It was put to shine intermittently, as did the lamp on the roof of the TARDIS. It was shining color gold, it was beautiful. Suddenly, the wheezing of the machine was heard. Rose looked at Mickey.
"I said so.'' She said before speaking to his mother. "Mum! Mum, go inside. Mum, don't stand there, just go inside. Just, mum, go…"
But it was too late, the TARDIS was to be materialized before them. Jackie, completely surprised by what was happening could not take her eyes off of the box blue which had to appear. Mickey, proud mother of Rose is finally seen the truth, showed well the box to the woman.
"How'd you do that, then?" She asked in one breath.
The TARDIS lands again in front of the building of pink and few seconds later, the blonde entered the vessel with a bang.
"Alright, so I lied!" He said without even turning. "I went and had a look, but the whole crash landing's a fake, I thought si, it's just too perfect. I mean, 'hitting Big Ben' come on, so I thought let's go and have a look…"
"My mum's here." Rose cut.
Jessica turned, at the same time as the doctor to see that Jackie and a young man stood in the TARDIS. Jackie seemed to impress by the ship, hand over her mouth to mitigate his shock while the boy seemed more in... anger?
"Oh, that's just what I need." The Doctor said. "Don't you dare make this place domestic!"
"Behave!" Growled slightly Jessica. "They hear you."
"You ruined my life, Doctor." Exclaimed the young unknown.
Jessica turned back to him. He seemed to know the Doctor and vice versa, and both seemed to enjoy each other. Jessica was wondering who it could be and why do they not love.
"They thought she was dead. I was a murder suspect because of you." Mickey accused.
"See what I mean? Domestic." The Doctor continued.
Jessica gave him a pat on the arm to stop to be rude. Apparently things were serious.
"I bet you don't even remember my name!"
"Ricky."
"it's Mickey."
"No, it's Ricky." Continued the Doctor.
"I think I know my own name."
"You think you know your own name? How stupid are you?"
"Mum, don't!" Rose cried upon seeing his mother out. "Don't go anywhere! Don't start a fight!" She told Mickey before returning to Jessica. "You keep an eye on them? "
"Huh, ok."
However, in had no need. The two men did that stare for several seconds before that pink not return to power.
"It was quick." Jessica said.
"She'll be fine. That was a real spaceship?"
"Yep!"
"So, it's all a pack of lies? What is it then, are they invading?"
"Funny way to invade, putting the world on red alert!" Mickey said.
"Good point!" The Doctor agreed.
"Very clever! This is true, why did they make all that noise if they wanted to invade the world?" Jessica asked, slightly defending the young man.
"Yes. So, what're they up to?" The Doctor asked while watching the screen.
