Boom Town part 1

The Doctor, Jimmy, Olivia and Jack stood in the TARDIS console room. The time machine was drifting slowly through the Time Vortex. The Doctor observed the readings on the screen.

''The TARDIS needs to refuel,'' he said.

''Refuel?'' Olivia questioned, ''What fuels a time machine?''

''We need a rift, am I right?'' Jack said.

''That's right,'' the Doctor said, ''A rift in time bleeds energy which the engines can soak up. We just need to materialise nearby.''

''How long will it take?'' Jimmy asked.

''More than 24 hours,'' the Doctor replied.

''And you know where you can find a rift?'' Jimmy asked.

''Cardiff,'' the Doctor said, ''Remember Gwyneth and the Gelth?''

''Oh!'' Jimmy realised.

''We can stop by in your time,'' the Doctor said. Jimmy, Olivia and Jack all nodded.

''I can do some shopping some shopping down there,'' Olivia commented, before looking at Jimmy, ''You wanna come?''

''Err, yeah,'' Jimmy said, taking any opportunity to spend time with the blonde.

''Cool. I'm going to get changed,'' Olivia said, heading off. Jimmy had a problem. Unlike Olivia, he had very little money to spend on board the TARDIS. He thought for a moment, only to remember that they were heading to the present day. He knew there was one way to get some money.

Jimmy went to his room and took his phone out of his pocket. He called his father.

''Hello?'' Joshua said.

''Alright Dad?'' Jimmy asked.

''Jimmy!'' Joshua exclaimed, ''Good to hear your voice! What can I do for you?''

''Dad, I need some money,'' Jimmy said.

''Well, I don't see why you're asking me, mate,'' Joshua said, ''I'm not exactly well off.''

''No, no,'' Jimmy said, ''I'm not asking you for money. I just need you to get some. Go to my block, to the floor above our flat, and go to flat number 81. When you're there ask for a guy called Kyle. Tell Kyle that you're here to collect the money he owes me. He'll know you're my dad, he's seen pictures of you. I need you to bring that money to Cardiff.''

''OK,'' Joshua said, sounding slightly confused, ''And why does ''Kyle'' owe you money?''

''Err, long story Dad, I've gotta go. I'll text you the time and place,'' Jimmy said, ending the call before flopping down to his bed. Jimmy cringed as he thought of why he was owed that money. It had been a long time ago, way before he started travelling with the Doctor, but he still regretted what he had done.


A few hours later, Jimmy returned to the console room to see the Doctor working at the controls and Jack helping him. ''Alright guys?'' he said as he walked in.

''Almost there,'' the Doctor said.

''How you doin' Jimmy?'' Jack asked.

''Fine, Jack,'' Jimmy said. Jack never failed to put a smile on Jimmy's face, particularly with his attempts to flirt with the Doctor.

''Doc,'' Jimmy said, clearly to the Time Lord's annoyance ''Is it alright if my dad comes and meets up with us.''

''Yeah, why not?'' the Doctor said. Clearly the incident with the Slitheen had cleared up any bad blood between the Doctor and Jimmy's father.

''Cool,'' Jimmy said, ''What time and place?''

''Wales Millenium Centre,'' the Doctor said, ''7th September 2006.'' Jimmy texted his father the details. Olivia then stepped into the room, wearing a black blouse with a black skirt and tights and black shoes. ''We there yet?'' the blonde asked, only for the TARDIS to come to a halt a second later.

''We are now,'' Jack said. Jimmy was unsure whether his father would actually turn up. He wasn't whether he had called and texted his father before the current date or after. He just hoped the former option was the case.

''So is Cardiff nice?'' Jack asked.

''I went with my dad a few years back,'' Olivia said, '' I thought it was great.''

''I've never been,'' Jimmy admitted, ''I don't get out of London much.'' A moment later they heard a knock on the door. Jack went to answer it, coming face to face with a mixed-race man in his thirties. Jack knew this man must be Jimmy's father, but couldn't resist having a joke.

''Who the hell are you?'' he asked.

''Who are you?'' the man replied in a cockney accent.

''Captain Jack Harkness,'' Jack replied, ''Whatever your selling, we're not buying.''

''Piss off,'' the man replied, pushing past Jack and into the TARDIS.

''Dad!'' Jimmy exclaimed, walking up to his father and hugging him.

''I've got it,'' Joshua said, handing his son a bundle of banknotes. Jimmy counted them up to £500.

''Thanks, dad!'' Jimmy said.

''Where'd that money come from?'' Olivia asked, slightly suspicious.

''Err, dad owes me,'' Jimmy said, giving his father a look.

''That's right,'' Joshua lied, resolving to ask Jimmy about this later.

''So how are you, Josh?'' said the Doctor, who was doing some maintenance on a ladder.

''Fine, Doctor, and yourself?'' Joshua replied. The Doctor gave him a look of satisfaction.

''You talk to him so politely,'' Jack said, ''How come I never get any of that?''

''Buy me a drink first,'' the Doctor retorted.

''You're such hard work.''

''But worth it.'' Jimmy and Olivia giggled at the two men's antics.

''So what're you doing in Cardiff anyway,'' Joshua asked, before looking at Jack, ''and who's you're new mate?''

''Just doing some refuelling,'' Olivia explained, ''Apparently there's a rift in Cardiff, totally invisible.''

''The rift was healed back in 1869,'' the Doctor chipped in.

''By a girl name Gwyneth who sealed it to stop the Gelth,'' Jimmy continued. Joshua was getting more confused.

''But closing a rift always leaves a scar,'' Jack said, ''And that scar generates energy, harmless to the Human Race.''

''But perfect for the TARDIS,'' the Doctor said, ''So just park it here for a couple of days right on top of the scar and...''

''Open up the engines, soak up the radiation!'' Jack cheered.

''And we're recharged!'' Olivia said, smirking.

''And off we go!'' Jimmy laughed.

''Into time!'' Jack said.

''And space,'' they all cheered. Joshua looked at the four time travellers as though they were insane.

''What is wrong with you people?'' he said, leading them out of the TARDIS.

''Should take another twenty-four hours, which means we've got time to kill,'' the Doctor said as they stepped out.

''That old lady's staring,'' Jimmy noticed.

''Probably wondering what five people could do inside a small wooden box,'' Jack joked, making the Doctor, Olivia and Jimmy snigger.

''Where'd you find this one, Doctor, the comedy roadshow?'' Joshua asked. Jack made a ''whatever'' gesture and started to head off.

''We can't just leave the TARDIS!'' Joshua pointed out, ''Won't someone notice it?''

''What's with the police box?'' Jack questioned, ''Why does it look like that?''

''It's called a chameleon circuit,'' the Doctor explained, ''The TARDIS is meant to disguise itself wherever it lands, like if this was Ancient Rome, it'd be a statue on a plinth or something. But I landed in the 1960s, it disguised itself as a police box, and the circuit got stuck.''

''Why don't you just fix the circuit?'' Jack asked.

''I like it! Don't you?''

''I do,'' Olivia said. Jimmy nodded in agreement.

''But they don't have police boxes anymore,'' Joshua pointed out, ''Someone's gonna notice that.''

''Joshua,'' the Doctor began, ''Let me tell you something about the Human Race. You put a mysterious blue box slap bang in the middle of town and what do they do?'' he put his hands on Joshua's shoulders, ''Walk past it. Now stop your nagging, let's go and explore!''

''We're going for some shopping,'' Olivia said, walking in another direction with Jimmy following, ''We'll see you guys later.''


Jimmy and Olivia walked through town. Jimmy was rather bored after several hours of shopping. He was beginning to think asking his father to bring such a large amount of money was pointless considering he hadn't bought anything. Olivia had bought several items of clothing and still wanted more. Olivia stopped to peer into the window of a shop.

''Look at that!'' the blonde said. It was a gold and diamond pendant necklace.

''You want something like that?'' Jimmy asked.

''Can you name me someone that wouldn't?'' Olivia said.

''Err, me!'' Jimmy retorted, ''That's way out of my price range.'' The necklace was marked ''£400''.

''This is the kind of stuff Alice gets for every birthday and Christmas,'' Olivia noted.

''Well, Alice is a spoilt little-''

''Leave her alone, Jimmy.''

''Lets go see what that lot are up to,'' Jimmy said. Olivia nodded and followed him. They went back to the Millennium Centre and then out to the bay. Jimmy decided to call Jack to see where the others were.

''Hello?'' Jack said.

''Jack, where are you lot?''

''We're at a little restaurant down by the bay,'' Jack said. Jimmy turned and could see the place.

''I can see you,'' Jimmy said, ''We're on our way.'' He and Olivia made their way to the restaurant and saw the Doctor, Jack and Joshua sitting at a table.

''Hey guys,'' Jack smiled, ''Sit down.'' The two teenagers did so, Jimmy being happy to put down the shopping bags Olivia made him carry. Jack carried on with the story he had been telling the Doctor and Joshua.

''I swear, six feet tall and with TUSKS,'' he insisted.

''You're lying through your teeth!'' the Doctor dismissed.

''I mean, it turns out the white things are tusks and I mean TUSKS!'' Jack continued, ''And it's woken, and it's not happy.''

''How could you not know it was there?'' the Doctor scoffed.

''And we're standing there, fifteen of us, NAKED,'' Jack went on, causing Jimmy and Olivia to start laughing, ''And I'm like, oh, no, no, it's got nothing to do with me! And then it roars, and we are running. Oh my God, we are RUNNING! And Brakovitch falls, so I turn to him and I say-''

''I knew we should have turned left!'' Joshua shouted, causing the five to roar with laughter.

''That's my line!'' Jack cheered. However, the Doctor noticed something in a man's newspaper that caused his smile to fade. As the others continued laughing, the Doctor stood up and walked up to the man, snatching the newspaper out of his hand. He had a brief read of the front page article before showing the picture to the others, who had turned to look at him.

''And I was having such a nice day,'' he said, showing them the front page, which showed that Margaret the Slitheen was the new Mayor of Cardiff.


The Doctor, Jimmy, Olivia, Jack and Joshua walked up the stairs to the Cardiff Town Hall. As they entered, they stopped and glanced around.

''According to intelligence, the target is the last surviving member of the Slitheen family, a criminal sect from the planet Raxacoricofallapatorious, masquerading as a human being, zipped inside a skin suit,'' Jack explained, ''Okay, plan of attack, we assume a basic fifty seven/fifty six strategy, covering all available exits on the ground floor. Doctor, you go face-to-face, that'll designate Exit One, I'll cover Exit Two, Jimmy, you're Exit Three, Olivia, you take Exit Four. Joshua, in the event that she escapes any exit I want you at the perimeter of the building. Have you got that?''

''Excuse me,'' the Doctor said, ''Who's in charge?''

''Sorry. Awaiting orders, sir,'' Jack said sheepishly.

''Right. Here's the plan,'' the Doctor began, before smiling, ''Like he said. Nice plan. Anything else''

''Present arms,'' Jack said, and they all got out their mobile phones.

''Ready,'' they all said.

''Speed dial?'' Jack suggested, as they all pressed buttons and indicated to Jack.

''See ya in hell,'' Jack said, before walking off to the right. The Doctor and Jimmy headed to different exits straight ahead, Olivia headed left and Joshua headed outside.

The Doctor walked up to a secretary sat a desk outside the Mayor's office.

''Hello! I've come to see the Lord Mayor,'' he said.

''Have you got an appointment?'' the secretary asked.

''Nope, just an old friend passing by, bit of a surprise - can't wait to see her face!''

''Well, she's just having a cup of tea.''

''Just go in there, and tell her the Doctor would like to see her.''

''Doctor who?''

''Just the Doctor. Tell her exactly that. The Doctor.''

''Hold on a tick,'' the secretary said, stepping into the Mayor's office. The Doctor barely reacted as he heard the sound of a teacup smashing inside. The secretary stepped out of the office.

''The Lord Mayor says thank you for- for popping by... she'd love to have a chat, but, um... she's up to her eyes in paperwork,'' he said unconvincingly, ''Perhaps if you could make an appointment for next week?''

''She's climbing out of the window, isn't she?''

''Yes, she is.'' The Doctor pushed him out of the way and ran into the office. He hurried out onto the balcony. He saw Margaret jumping onto the scaffolding.

''Slitheen heading North,'' he said over the phone.

''Understood,'' Olivia said.

''Over and out,'' Jack said.

''We've got her,'' Jimmy said. The secretary then came back and grabbed the Doctor.

''Leave the Mayor alone!'' he shouted as he fought the Time Lord. Meanwhile, Jack, Jimmy and Olivia ran through their respective corridors before bursting out into the open. Margaret climbed down the scaffolding and found two exits blocked by Jack and Jimmy, who were running towards her. Margaret tried to go back the way she came only for the Doctor to shove the secretary away and start moving towards her.

''Margaret!'' the Doctor called mockingly. Margaret tried to make her way down a fourth exit, only to be grabbed by Olivia.

''Gotcha!'' the blonde cheered, but Margaret was far stronger, and effortlessly shoved Olivia to the ground. This made Jimmy chase after her even quicker, and Joshua was coming from the other direction. However, Margaret smirked and ran towards him, taking out her teleport device and disappearing.

''She's got a teleport! That's cheating!'' Jack said, ''Now we're NEVER gonna get her!'' The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and activated it, causing Margaret to reappear even closer to them. She started to run away and teleported again. The Doctor reversed it once more. This repeated again until Margaret was out of breath and in front of them, with Joshua behind her. Jimmy helped Olivia up.

''I could do this all day,'' the Doctor said smugly.

''This is persecution,'' Margaret protested, ''Why can't you leave me alone? What did I ever do to you?''

''You tried to kill me and destroy this entire planet,'' the Doctor pointed out.

''Apart from that.''