Jamie opened his eyes on an iron ceiling. Resting on one elbow, he looked around and realized he was alone in a long corridor of metal, bathed in white light. Looking at himself, he noticed he was now wearing new kilt and shoes, with a strange wool shirt that stretched under his fingers. However, he found no trace of his sporran or umbrella.

« Is this… the land of fairies?" he wondered.

He heard hooves coming from the end of the corridor, and soon, a white unicorn appeared before him. Jamie smiled.

ooo

Zoe opened her eyes on an iron ceiling. Resting on one elbow, she looked around and realized she was alone in a long corridor of metal, bathed in white light. Looking at herself, she noticed she was wearing a sparkling cat suit. However, she found no trace of her visor on her eyes.

"Is it some sort of IA generated virtual reality?" she wondered.

She heard steps coming from the end of the corridor, and soon, the frame of a masked man appeared before her. Zoe smiled.

Chapter 21: Voyage to Avalon

"Oh, it's you again? I'm glad you made it!" Jamie said, caressing the head of the creature where the steel horn had come back into place.

"Have you seen my friend Alice?"

The unicorn swung its head and turned around.

"You want me to follow you? All right!"

Jamie settled side-saddle on its back.

« I think I'd like this design better, more comfy, don't you think? » he commented light-heartedly, while letting his new mount guide him through the unknown.

ooo

"You're… Karkus? I didn't know you were real!"

"My dear little Zoe, does it matter I am real or not as long as I am by your side?" he replied proudly with hands on his hips.

"Well, I suppose you get a point… Anyway, have you seen my friend Jamie? You can't miss him, he's wearing a skirt..."

"No, young lady, I haven't seen him, but don't' worry: from now on, I will lead you to the next step of your journey!" he answered, crouching before her.

Zoe set herself on his shoulders with a giggle, and let her old friend guide her through the unknown.

ooo

After going through an endless maze of corridors, the unicorn stopped in front of a double door. Jumping on his feet, Jamie pushed them cautiously, and was treated to the sight of a round room with a hexagonal device in its centre. His face lightened when he saw his sporran hanging to a coat rack nearby.

ooo

After going through an endless maze of corridors, Karkus stopped in front of a double door. Jumping on her feet, Zoe pushed them cautiously, and was treated to the sight of a round cockpit with a hexagonal control panel in its centre. Her blood ran cold when she saw Jamie turning his back to her at the other side.

ooo

Jamie heard a rustling behind him. He drew his dirk, and turned around the steel hexagon cautiously. Zoe, hidden behind, followed his movements in the opposite, crawling and holding her breath, terrified by what could happen if he ever saw her unmasked face before he got to meet her with the Doctor.

After some minutes of this thorough inspection, Jamie, half reassured, sheathed his weapon, and took back his sporran. To his great confusion, the inside was now perfectly normal, and empty, except of Fiona's doll, and a curious metal disc, pierced in its centre. Zoe's eyes widened with stupor. What such an obsolete thing like a DVD was doing here? Helpless, Jamie tried to push some buttons and levers on the control panel, leaving both the fur pocket and the disc aside. Zoe noticed he did not pay any attention to what looked like a slot-in among the apparels. Of course, Zoe thought, Jamie, like most of the youths of her time, could not know how to use such an old-fashioned relic. But she surely does! Step after step, she got closer of her target, until she could grab the disc in one swift movement. Then, while Jamie was still focused on his vain task at one other end of the console, she discreetly inserted the disc which disappeared in the device with a slight humming noise.

Jamie tensed at the sound, and Zoe rushed back to her hideout, doing her best to keep perfectly still and silent. Then, another noise and a flash of light came from like a sort of square window to Jamie. On the pane of glass, the following words appeared:

Welcome to the Blue Box Core.

The letters soon faded away to be replaced by some sort of old movie. Behind Jamie's back, Zoe stared at the antiquated tv screen, eager for long-awaited answers, but the mysteries seemed to thicken a little more instead when Jamie began to fidget at the screen.

"Ben? Polly?"

He then smiled broadly, putting his hands on the glowing glass.

"Och! The Doctor! Is he behind this window? Why is everyone gray? Have they been ash-covered too?" he said, examining the TV from every angle.

Zoe looked at him and the screen with perplexity. Why make such a fuss about old video pictures? Was he this ignorant of outdated technologies? She, however, shared his confusion about the Doctor: what was he doing in this video?

"Doctor, are you there? Answer me, Doctor!" an helpless Jamie was now calling out. He was knocking on the glass pane of the TV repeatedly, when he suddenly shrank back from the screen, livid.

"Wait a minute? That's me?!"

Zoe's eyes widened. It was not a mere resemblance; Jamie was really on screen, and visibly meeting the Doctor for the first time in an unknown place. Fascinated like preys under the gaze of a snake, the two youths could not help but stay still as new images appeared, bruising their minds for what seemed hours. Jamie shivered when he saw himself enter a miniature version of the blue tower. Zoe shivered when the tower disappeared in the mist. Jamie marveled at the size of the creatures swaggering around. Zoe marveled at the miracles of alien technology. Zoe's heart got warmer when the young girl in the long white dress appeared. Jamie's heart wrenched when the young girl left. Zoe held back a cry of astonishment when she recognized herself on the screen, reliving in turn her first encounter with the Doctor. Jamie held back his hand at the view of himself and the Doctor holding each other tightly. Zoe covered her mouth once more when the blonde woman photographed her. Jamie covered his mouth as tenuous, shameless thrills ran along his spine when his fingers brushed against the head resting indignantly on his lap.

When they finally saw the Doctor spinning in despair to an unknown fate, Zoe could not take it anymore, and slowly rose from her hideout behind the console. Jamie turned around at the noise, and Zoe's heart broke at the blank, lost look on his face.

« I'm sorry, Jamie, I never intended to make a fool of you, I didn't know… » she said in a strangled voice.

« …Zoe. »

"…If I had made you call me Alice all along, it was… I thought it was necessary, logic !..."

"Zoe… Where's the Doctor?" he asked with glistening eyes.

"Jamie…"

« I was right, wasn't I? The Doctor had been imprisoned somewhere on earth. But where is he now? Where is he?"

Without thinking, Zoe made a few steps, and opened her arms. He fell on his knees instantly, hiding his face in her shoulder. She, herself, did her best to prevent his sweater to get damper.

« I don't understand. It's like what we just saw had been lived by two other persons... It must be a trick or something" she mused.

"No, Zoe, it's us! I feel it's us. I know it's us," Jamie answered hoarsely in the crook of her neck.

"Yes… I feel it too", she replied, eyes still shut. "…But… these memories can't be only ours, can't they? Or else, how did we learn what happened to him after we… left?"

Jamie raised his head shyly.

"You mean… these moving pictures could be his memories?"

She did not answer.

"So he can't be far! After all, even if she's different we still are in the Tardis, aren't we?"

"Yes, but…"

"Listen! You, Zoe, you stay here, while I look for him in the corridors, right?"

"Jamie, wait!"

But, like a shadow, the young highlander had already disappeared behind the double doors.