A/N: These are vignettes of moments in existing episodes that I've played with and fleshed out and added to.
A/N 2: I changed Zoe's time from the year 2000 to the year 3000.
—
Thus Far
Location: The Tardis
Time: Relative
It was quiet on the Tardis. Jamie lay in his bunk with his hands behind his head, listening to the hypnotic hum of the ship as it meandered through space.
It was late, relatively speaking. His tired body said it was late. He could hear the Doctor and Zoe talking, but the only words he could make might as well have been Chinese for all he knew. They were having some sort of theoretical debate regarding the nature of black holes—or something. As their voices were blended with the hum of the ship Jamie's mind drifted. back to when he and the Doctor first met Zoe in the Wheel ...
…..
The Doctor was out of commission; Victoria had left him—them. He was peerless. The loneliness really hit him then. What was he, a piper, doing here out in the middle of space anyway? He did not belong here. He had never felt so alone …
"Alright Jamie, that will do for the present," broke in the crisp voice of Dr. Corwyn. "The controller will want to have a chat with you; we'll have to get you home, somehow."
"Aye, that'll be the day," Jamie muttered.
Doctor Corwyn looked pointedly at him, clearly wondering what he had meant by that.
"O-of course," Jamie said.
"There should be another ship passing through in a week or two."
"C-can I go now?"
"Wait a moment."
"What?"
"Would you like to see over the Wheel? I could arrange it for you if you like."
"Oh, well … yes—I mean, there's naething else to do …"
"Well, if you along the corridor you'll see a door marked 'parapsychology library'."
"Pa-pa-para … wha'?"
Dr. Corwyn smiled indulgently. "It's on the other side of the Wheel complex, about eight sections on—I'll tell Zoe to show you 'round."
"Who's Zoe?"
"She's our—" Dr. Corwyn paused in thought before saying "well, the best way to describe her would be to call her our librarian."
"'Zoe', you said?"
"That's right."
—
Zoe was sitting in the Doctor's library sifting through the notes she had made during her discussion wirth the Doctor. She yawned and rubbed her eyes. She had been staring at the figures too long. She looked around at the Doctor's collection of texts. There were old fashioned books alongside tapes and drives and data sticks. As she looked she began to think back upon her time at the library on the Wheel and that fateful day when she first met Jamie …. That's right … she met Jamie even before she met the Doctor …
….
The viscom on her desk lit up and the face of Doctor Corwyn appeared.
"Parapsychology Library, Doctor Corwyn calling."
Zoe switched on her camera. "Parapsychology Library. What reference do you require, Dr. Corwyn?"
"No reference, thank you, Zoe—I need your help in another way."
Zoe was intrigued. Being asked for anything other than references was a rare occurrence—much less for help. "Oh?"
"One of the people retrieved from the rogue spaceship is coming to your section. I want you to show him around the Wheel and observe him."
"Observe him?" This was quite unusual.
"Discreetly, of course."
"Do you want these observations recorded?"
"Yes, please."
Zoe tilted her head, already her natural curiosity was ramping up. She was also pleased that she had been picked out of all the other hundreds of crewmembers. "Hm! Should be interesting. Any facts known?"
"Yes. He's a nice lad. His name is James—"
"Just a moment." Zoe had been so interested she had forgotten about the task she had been in the middle of when Dr. Corwyn called. Dr. Corwyn patiently waited as she finished her mental calculations. "Sorry, I was halfway through an REA analysis when you came on. Right. Please continue."
"He's a nice lad named James Robert MacCrimmon …"
. . . . . .
Jamie found the door bearing the legend Parapsychology Library, opened the portal and stepped in.
There was only one person in the room full of shelves and black boxes: a young woman judging by the sound of her voice.
"With the exception of the Hercules Cluster,
computation of information received shows that one of the stars in Messier 13 group is entering the nova phase."
Jamie stood a few feet away waiting for her to finish talking to whoever it was. As he waited he idly studied her. She was small in stature but shapely as evidenced by the way her white jumpsuit hugged her curves.
Jamie gave his head a vigorous shake.
What're ye doin', lad? Victoria only jist left …
A wave of bitterness swept over him.
Though it's no' like we were anythin' to each other— I wasnae tae her anyway … if she had felt anythin' for me at all she wouldnae left … Either way, this is nae time to be ogglin' a lassie, MacCrimmon!
"This would be a repetition of the phenomena observed in the Perseus cluster last week," Zoe's voice penetrated his thoughts, pulling him back to the present. "Information of the gamma radiation level is available."
Zoe switched off the dictation machine and turned to Jamie.
"Sorry, you must be—" Zoe's eyes widened and she gave him a long look that started from his boots to his head. Jamie blushed under the scrutiny of her large brown eyes.
Suddenly the rather serious girl burst out laughing.
"Wha' ye laughin' at?" He demanded, he could feel his ears burning now.
"Your clothes!" Zoe exclaimed, trying to stifle her giggles with her hand. "You're wearing female garments!"
The first fires of attraction toward this diminutive damsel were immediately tamped down.
"Female!" He took a step forward, pointing a rebuking finger at her. "Look, I'll have ye know this is a kilt!" He gripped a pleated corner and fanned it out a bit. "Have ye nae seen it before?"
Zoe frowned and tilted her head, her bobbed brown hair brushing her shoulder. "'Kilt'?" She then tilted her head to the other side and tried the word again. "'Kilt …'" then she raised her head, her expression clearing.
"'A barbaric form of garment as worn by a kiltie.' Are you of Scandinavian origin? Danish?"
"No!" Jamie cried, indignantly, "nae I am not! I'm a true bred Scot and I'd jist thank ye tae—"
"Oh, a Scot! Scotland, of course. Pre-century history is not my field, you see."
Jamie crossed his arms and glowered at her.
"Aye, maybe not, but you jist watch yer lip, or I'll … put ye across ma knee and larrup ye!"
But Zoe was not a whit intimidated—in fact, her eyes sparkled with amusement. She gave a little laugh of delight. "Oh, this is going to be fun! I shall learn a lot from you."
Jamie gaped at her. What a queer wee slip of a girl she was! He did not know what to make of her at all.
And thus began his quiet fascination with Zoe Heriot.
"Come on, James Robert MacCrimmon," she said cheerfully, walking towards the door. Her sudden use of his full name startled him. "Do you know anything about interstellar flora?"
"Ey?"
When he did not immediately follow she turned to look at him. "Is something wrong with your jaw, James Robert MacCrimmon?"
Jamie snapped his mouth shut. "Nae, I— how do ye ken my name?"
"Do you mean how do I know?"
"Aye."
"Dr. Corwyn called me on the viscom and told me you were coming."
"The what?"
"The viscom."
Jamie gave her a blank look.
"Do they not have viscoms in Scotland?"
"W-Weel, I—nae—tha' is—"
"No, I guess they wouldn't. I don't know much about Scotland, but I did hear they tend to be a little backwards in their ways and slower when it comes to adopting new technology. Well, come along, James Robert MacCrimmon, I'm pleased to show you around, but I do have work to do."
Jamie's jaw dropped again but he followed. He really would larrup her if she kept that cheek up.
…..
Zoe stood in front of the data log recording her observations of the possibly encroaching meteorites.
"Progress readings on the star Hercules 208 in Messier 13. Radar computer reading—"
"Ey, what're ye doin'?"
Zoe had been so focused she had not seen the young man walk in. Irritation niggled in her chest at his rude interruption.
"Bank A: 2018.6, Bank B: 32164. Lateral reading of—"
"Are ye talking' to yerself?"
With a sigh Zoe stopped the recording and pinned him with a scolding look. "James Robert McCrimmon, do you realize what you've done?"
Jamie looked sincerely taken aback.
"Wha'? Wha' have I done?"
"I was inputting some very important readings and now you're on my recording!"
"Ey?"
Zoe pursed her lips and twisted the rewind/advance dial.
Jamie heard some strangled garbled sounds then he heard Zoe's voice again, but her lips were not moving.
"How d'ye do tha' without moving yer lips?" Then was startled to hear his own voice!
"It's me!"
He then realized he was hearing what he had just said. So … that device captured voices …
Zoe shut off the log and stepped down off the platform to walk past him.
"Sorry," Jamie said as she neared him. "Have I ruined it?"
Jamie looked so contrite Zoe's annoyance disappeared. She gave him a reassuring smile. "No, not really." With that she stepped out of the records room.
She was part way down the corridor when she heard the clunk of Jamie's boots behind her and heard him clearing his throat. She turned to see him following her with a look of shy interest, but trying to appear casual with his hands behind his back.
"Is there anything you want?"
Jamie was not quite sure himself as to why he was following her, why he sought her out in the first place. Whatever the reason, there was no denying that he felt drawn to her in this lonely place full of people.
"No, I'm … alright."
"Well, I've got some calculations to do on those new readings."
"Aye, everyone's so busy." A hint of bitterness crept into his voice. "No' that they'd talk tae me anyway."
Zoe turned around and approached him, arms folded and eyebrows raised.
"Well, you did get off to a bad start."
"Ye mean ruining the laser? Aye ... I suppose I did." He studied her elfin face for a moment. "Ah-Anyway, I had tae do that."
Zoe frowned and stepped closer. "Why?"
"Well, the—erm—well, I can't really tell ye."
Zoe sighed and turned away with a shrug. "Why begin to tell me then, James Robert McCrimmon?" She continued down the corridor.
"Just Jamie!" He called after her. He made to follow but then stopped. Perhaps it would be better for him to check back in with the Doctor in sickbay before he ended up saying something he should not.
…..
Zoe stepped into Dr. Corwyn's office. It was shaping up to be a day of anomalies, both cosmic and human.
"Oh, it's you, Zoe," Dr. Corwyn said when she approached. "What do you want?"
"Well, it's rather difficult to explain …"
Dr. Corwyn looked alarmed. "Well, what is it?"
"Well, I've done a report—some calculations I've been doing—I was ordered to forget them."
"Ordered? By whom? What report?"
"My calculations on the orbital path of the meteorite storm; I found a new element which indicated a critical state and I reported my findings to the Controller."
"And he ignored them?"
"Yes. You don't sound very surprised."
"No."
"He said it was all perfectly normal, but it isn't!"
Dr. Corwyn threaded her fingers and said quietly, "he's getting worse."
"Is he ill?"
"I don't know yet."
"Well, if he is he's chosen a rather inconvenient time, hasn't he?"
Dr. Corwyn fixed her with an odd look. "Do you ever feel anything emotional, Zoe?"
"'Emotional'? Do you know that's the second time I've been asked that in the last few hours?" A troubled crease formed between her neat eyebrows. "Leo Ryan said I was all brain and no heart."
Dr. Corwyn rose from her desk. "Yes, it's your training," she said knowingly. "I shouldn't worry about it."
"Oh, but I do!" Zoe said, looking emotional indeed. "I don't want to be thought of as a freak! Leo said that I was like a robot, a machine … I think he's right. My head's been pumped full of facts and figures which I reel out automatically when needed, but I …" Zoe paused briefly as she considered her next words. "I want to feel things as well."
"Good!" Said Dr. Corwyn, touching her shoulder as a gesture of encouragement. "Unfortunately, the Parapsychology unit at The City tends to ignore this aspect in its pupils—some of them never fully develop their human emotions."
Zoe looked worriedly up at her.
"You don't think I'll be like that do you?"
"No," Dr. Corwyn said firmly. "No, you seem to have survived their brainwashing techniques remarkably well."
Zoe looked visibly relieved. "Oh, good." Dr. Corwyn could not help but smile. Yes, she would be fine. "Now, about these calculations of yours …"
…
Zoe stepped back into the control room from seeing the Controller. Jamie scooted aside to give her room to sit on the bench with him.
"How is he?"
"Hopeless."
Jamie his fingers through his hair in a frustrated gesture. "Och, tha's jist fine."
"He's just … closed himself away."
"Who's the second-in-command?"
"Dr. Corwyn."
"At least she's alright."
"Yes, although what she can do I don't know."
Jamie raised a sardonic eyebrow and smirked, an expression she would come to be very familiar with.
"Ohh, so there is something ye don't know, then?"
"There's too much I don't know!" Zoe answered seriously. "I was trained to believe logic and calculation would provide me with all the answers. Well, I'm just beginning to realize there are questions which I can't answer."
Jamie felt a stirring of sympathy as he watched confusion, worry and frustration play on her face.
"Ye're jist no' trained for an emergency like this."
Zoe shook her head, her frustration clearly mounting. "Well, that's the whole point! What good am I?"
Jamie opened his mouth but did not know what to say. But Zoe continued. "I've been created for some false kind of existence where only known kinds of emergencies are catered for. Well, what good is that to me now?"
"Heeyy," Jamie crooned, putting a hand on her shoulder, "we're no' done yet, ye know."
"And if we survive? What then, Jamie?" She challenged, leaning toward Jamie for emphasis. Jamie felt slightly intimidated but fought the urge to lean away. "Suppose we do get out of this mess—what have I got left? A blind reliance on facts and logic!"
Jamie did not know what to say to that.
…
Jamie reluctantly followed Zoe and Doctor Corwyn.
"Replace the field barrier now, we're through." Dr. Corwyn communicated to the Operations Room through the viscom at the start of the corridor.
Zoe turned, barely containing her excitement that she was about to get to do something useful.
"I'll see that it's clear ahead." With that she quickly continued down the corridor.
Jamie came up behind Dr. Corwyn and hissed, "I still don't see why you should send a wee thing like tha' with me."
Dr. Corwyn turned. "She's the only one I can spare who knows enough about space-drill who can get you across to that rocket safely."
"Maybe so, but I still think I will be better by myself."
"Do you?" Dr. Corwyn said sharply, "I wouldn't be too sure if I were you."
….
"Jamie! The meteorites are heading straight for us!"
The blast from the Wheel's laser cannon flashed by them, blowing the nearest meteor to pieces. Jamie immediately reached out and grasped Zoe's hand as the force from the blast hurled them about like leaves in the wind. But in the next moment they were pulled apart. Jamie felt panic rising. He knew it had been a bad idea to send her out with him. If something happened to her on his watch …
…
Zoe sat exhausted in her space suit in the captain's chair of the rocket's flight deck. Jamie approached with bottles of water for them both.
"Oh, thanks, Jamie."
"How d'ye feel now?"
Zoe took a sip then said, "I didn't think we'd get through! I feel as if someone's been hitting me all over with small hammers!"
Jamie put a hand on her shoulder. "Well, jist you take it easy," he said, still breathing hard from their exertions.
"Oh, it's all right, I'll help! What's this thing like we're looking for?"
"Uh, it's about that long" he indicated the rough size with his hands, "gold, with a gold tip on one end and a white one on the other."
Zoe moved to get up. Jamie put a hand on her shoulder. "Are ye sure ye're alright?"
Zoe gave him a bright smile with a reassuring nod.
Jamie could not help but grin with appreciation at her pluck.
Good lass.
"Come on then," he said out loud.
….
"Zoe! I found the rod! This is it!"
Jamie dashed into the communications room where he had left Zoe to search. She reached back to urgently grab his arm and indicated the viscom on the control panel. "Cybermen! I must've broken in on their frequency—this may be important!"
"Stare into that box," said the Cyberman to the crew member. "Think of each individual human being present on the Wheel. Form the image in your eyes."
The image on the viscom changed and the face of Tanya appeared. "Tanya Lernov, astrogator, second class," the crew member recited. A tinnier voice than the other Cyberman was heard. "Negative," it said.
The next face appeared, "Leo Ryan, communications officer."
"Negative."
"Jarvis Bennett, Space Station Controller."
"Negative."
"They seem to be talking about the whole crew of the Wheel," Zoe said. "One after another."
"But why?" Puzzled Jamie. "Wha' are they after?"
Jamie touched Zoe's shoulder and pointed at the screen when her face appeared. A cold shaft of alarm pierced Zoe's heart.
"Zoe Heriot, astrophysicist, astrometrist, first class."
There was a pause, then, "Negative."
Zoe sighed with relief but also felt a little miffed, as if she had been passed over because she was lacking.
Then the Doctor's face appeared.
"Doctor …" the crewman hesitated. "I-I don't know who he is."
"Name?" Demanded the tinny voice.
"I don't know."
"Name?"
"I don't know," the crewmember repeated helplessly. "I don't know!"
"Positive. The Doctor is known and recorded as an enemy. He must be lured outside the force field and destroyed."
Zoe and Jamie exchanged glances.
"They're going to try and trap the Doctor!" Exclaimed Jamie, gathering up their equipment and the rod. "Come on, let's get back and warn him!"
…
Jamie stepped through the Wheel's Oxygen Chamber's emergency exit and stopped short at the sight of a body stretched out on the floor.
"Dr. Corwyn!"
He rushed over to get a better look with Zoe close behind him. His heart sank. He could see she was dead. He glanced at Zoe. She wore a dazed expression as she stared at her superior's lifeless form; Dr. Corwyn being dead was not computing.
Jamie reached back and took her hand to lead her up the stairs to the door that led out of the oxygen chamber. He could feel her hanging back, reluctant to leave Dr. Corwyn. He squeezed Zoe's hand and that seemed to refocus her attention. After that he let go.
As they crept down the corridor Jamie reached back to grab her hand again, almost out of habit already, but then he thought better of it and decided to keep a grip on the valuable rod with both hands.
…..
Jamie shook Zoe's hand.
"So I've just got to go back?" Zoe asked when her request to go with them was denied.
"Aye, I'm afraid so."
"And you won't tell me anything about this … what is it?"
"TARDIS."
"Oh, yes. I asked the Doctor what it meant. 'Time And Relative Dimensions in Space, he said."
"Uh, yes." Jamie nodded.
"But you won't explain it."
Jamie shifted impatiently. He was anxious to get going because, even though he had only known Zoe a short time, he realized he was already becoming attached to her, and that scared him.
"Well, ye-ye see, Zoe … Well, it's like—it's like two different worlds. You've got yours and the Doctor and me got ours." And that's how it was going to be from now on, two bachelors traveling through space. No women to entangle and confuse his feelings. Plus, he could not bear the thought of anyone taking Victoria's place—no matter how competent or interesting she was.
"Jamie!" The Doctor called from inside the TARDIS.
Jamie moved to go then turned and apologetically touched her arm. "Well, look, Zoe … we won't forget ye."
Zoe frowned. The determined look on her face should have warned him.
Jamie's heart pounded and sank at the same time when the Doctor opened the old Jacobite chest to reveal the crouching form of Zoe inside.
"Hey! I thought I tol' you to—"
Zoe ignored him and addressed the Doctor, the one clearly in charge.
"I want to go with you!"
"Nay, it's impossible."
The Doctor thoughtfully put his hands in his pockets and looked up at the ceiling. "Now, Jamie, it's not impossible, but it's, ah, something we have to decide." The Doctor gave Zoe a pointed look. "You may change your mind."
"No I won't," Zoe declared with a sense of finality.
"I wonder!" The Doctor said sharply and fetched out a headpiece that looked to be made of burnished bronze.
"Zoe, watch the screen." He set the device on his head.
"Wha' are you going to do?" Jamie asked with curiosity and a slight twinge of concern.
"I'm going to show Zoe what she's in for."
"Thought patterns?" Zoe asked intelligently. The Doctor, pleasantly refreshed by the presence of a kindred mind, hoped she would stay.
"Yes, but now I'm going to weave them into a complete story for you. Have you ever heard of the Daleks?"
—
Zoe smiled to herself as she recalled her first adventure as a member of the TARDIS crew. What a horizon expanding experience that had been!
…..
"It is an Atom test island, isn't it?" Zoe directed her question to the Dulcian researchers standing at the other side of the room with the Doctor.
The researcher gave her a look of mild scorn "Of course it is—everyone knows that!"
Zoe felt movement directly behind her.
"Aye, but we don't!" Jamie shot back, taking umbrage with the man's tone. He leaned slightly into Zoe to emphasize that she was part of that we. Zoe glanced up at him, a foreign warmth stirring in her chest.
The Doctor looked at the pair with bemusement. For someone who claimed to resent Zoe's presence Jamie was standing awfully close. The boy may have protested her inclusion but his body language denoted acceptance and protection.
For all his fuss and bluster, he's already quite attached to her, though he would deny it.
The Doctor's lips twitched in quiet amusement.
…
"Director Senex asked that you be brought to the council chamber immediately. Please wait here." The council member made a move to leave.
"Uh, jist a moment— where's Zoe?" Jamie demanded.
"You mean the girl?"
"Yes, Zoe, is she here?" Jamie's voice was edged with with concern.
"No."
"Then where is she?" The Doctor asked. "She did arrive safely?"
"Yes."
"Well then ..." Jamie looked expectantly at the council member but no more information seemed to be forthcoming. His anxiety spiked and he strode over to the older man, stabbing a finger at his chest. "Hey, has anythin' happened tae her?" He demanded sharply.
Because if something has I'll be raising Cain until I get some answers …
The Councilman's expression was surprisingly placid in the face of an angry Highlander. "Director Senex will explain ... should he think fit."
It was all Jamie could do to keep himself from grabbing the smug man by his smock and shaking him. "Hang on jist a—"
"There is no cause for alarm," the Councilman said dismissively. "I will inform the Director of your arrival."
Jamie began to pace like a caged animal but then paused to grab the Doctor by the coat sleeve. "What d'ye think's happened to her, Doctor?"
The Doctor shrugged. "I have no idea, Jamie. But the Dulcians wouldn't have harmed her, of that I'm certain."
Jamie made a doubtful noise and resumed his pacing.
The Doctor watched him for a moment before risking a little prod. "You seem awfully worried about her."
"Well, o' course I'm worried!" Jamie gesticulated wildly in frustration, not even breaking his stride. "She's jist a wee lassie who shouldnae even be here. She should have stayed on her space—whadd'ya call it?"
"The Wheel?"
"Aye."
"I don't know, Jamie, I think she fits in rather well and seems quite capable of taking care of herself."
"I suppose …" Jamie grumbled, pausing his pacing. "I still don't like it. I-I feel somewhat responsible for her. I had told her about some of our adventures and I guess that's what made her want to come."
"That may be so … though I think she would have followed us anyway; she knows her own mind, that young lady."
"Aye," Jamie said ruefully, "and she speaks it, too."
…
The lit up figure of a Quark on the status panel blinked out.
"Another quark has been destroyed," The second in command raged and left the ship fo investigate. "Quark, follow."
"Somebody destroyed a Quark? But who?"
Zoe exclaimed with a mixture of disbelief and surprise. She had seen those things work and they were not to be trifled with.
A slow grin of triumph spread across the Doctor's face.
"There's only one person who is headstrong enough to do that …"
Zoe thought for a moment then a smile of her own appeared. "Jamie! Then he and Culley are alive!" Zoe's body was flooded with a sense of relief and a bit of pride for Jamie.
"Yes. Alive and kicking by the sound of it! This just what we needed—now, we have no time to waste!"
…..
Jamie climbed down the ladder into the bomb shelter. "That extremely rash of you, Jamie,"
the Doctor said as his boots hit the floor. "Those Quarks are appallingly dangerous."
Jamie glanced over the Doctor's shoulder and spotted Zoe just behind him. He quickly averted his eyes. Why was she dressed like the other Dulcian woman in a ridiculously short, semi-transparent skirt and oddly cut neckline that dipped close to the bosom? He hitched up the waist of his kilt—a nervous habit.
"Oh, they're no' so terrible …"
"We dropped a rock on one earlier," Culley proudly announced. "Hey, where's Balan?" He asked his fellow Dulcians, "why wasn't he—"
"He's dead, Culley," Etnin intoned gravely.
"Oh no … if only we could've gotten him away, too."
"You did your best," Kando tried to assure him, her delicate eyebrows scrunched up in sympathy.
"Yes, it's thanks to you and Jamie that the rest of us are safe."
"No were not." The Doctor's voice cut in sharply. "Nowhere in the island is safe—no where on the entire planet, as it comes to that."
"Ye see, we overheard the Dominantors say that the Dulcians were not useful for slave labor."
"Then they'll leave us in peace," Etnin protested.
"Weel … no. They said ye'll all die with your planet."
"Surely, they don't mean to destroy Dulkis completely?" Kando asked in disbelief.
"I'm afraid they do," said the Doctor.
"Why?"' Etnin demanded. "What do they want?"
"A large amount of fuel for their invasion fleet," the Doctor answered.
"But we know there are no minerals worth having," Zoe piped up. "At least not on this side of the island."
"They're not mining for minerals or any natural fuel source."
"But their spaceship uses atomic power, we've established that."
"There's no reactor in that ship of theirs—only a radiation storage unit. Remember when they landed they sucked up all the radiation dust from the island ?"
"Yes. So you're saying they store radioactive particles then convert that energy into power."
"Exactly."
Jamie's eyes bounced back and forth between them. There they went again talking about things that went over his head. It made him feel like such a third wheel, and he was there first, not Zoe!
"Well, then why are they drilling?"
The Doctor whipped out a piece of chalk from his voluminous pockets. "Look, I'll show you."
As Jamie watched the Doctor draw out the diagram and answer questions an idea began to formulate in his brain—though his train of thought was nearly sidetracked when Zoe bent over the diagram. Jamie averted his eyes again. That infernal neckline and hem! He forced himself to focus on what the Doctor was drawing out on the table.
"... The whole planet will become one vast molten mass of radioactive material—the fuel stors for their fleet!"
"Well, we'll jist have to stop them then."
"It's not as simple as all that, is it? No, now if only I could get a hold of that atomic seed device I-I might be able to diffuse it."
"Yes!" Zoe picked up his train of thought with enthusiasm, "then it would only be a local volcanic eruption on the island … but how can we get to the device."
"Yes that's a problem.
"Doctor," Jamie piped up, "I've just had an idea!"
The Doctor waved him away. "Shush a minute, Jamie, I'm trying to think."
"Yes, I know you are, but—"
"Oh, Jamie!" Zoe intoned in exasperation.
"Will ye listen to me?" He said more forcefully. "There's a dead easy way to get that device thing."
Zoe raised an eyebrow in scorn. "Really?"
Who does she think she is, gettin' uppity with me, the Queen o' Sheba? I was here first!
"Now listen—you said they were going to drop it down the center hole, the one they're drilling outside here, right?."
"Yes," the Doctor said wearily, rolling his eyes.
"Well it's simple isn't it?" Jamie's face grew animated as his idea solidified in his head. "All we got to do is dig a tunnel through the bore hole and catch the seed device thing on its way down!"
The Doctor and Zoe looked at him in stunned silence. Jamie shrugged his shoulders. "Well, it's jist an idea."
A slow, impressed smile came over Zoe's face as she considered his plan. The Doctor spoke first.
"Why, Jamie! That's a brilliant idea! It's so simple only you could have thought of it."
Jamie smiled with self-satisfaction, but then he frowned as he thought about the Doctor's implication. "Ey?"
Zoe regarded Jamie with new appreciation. He was smarter than she had given him credit for.
—
Of course being in that strange Land of Fiction was the most disorienting experience yet. Especially when Jamie got a new face ….
"JAMIE!"
Zoe ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Her mind and heart were racing. One minute he was standing there, —albeit with a stranger's face—poised to attack the random redcoat, the next minute he was … he was … made of cardboard—with no face!
"Doctor!" Zoe gasped, not knowing what else to say. This whole strange world they found themselves in did not compute.
"Now, It's alright, Zoe," the Doctor said with a placating wave of his hand, then he stood still, as if waiting for something.
"Oh, come on, come on," he said wearily to the air, impatiently snapping his fingers. "If you want to play games, let's get on with it."
An ominous male laugh without a visible source descended on them.
Something poked Zoe in the back. "What's that?" She exclaimed, spinning around.
Her attacker turned out to be the corner of a flannel-covered board covered with crude cut-outs of men's eyes, noses, and ears as if clipped out of a 20th century magazine.
Zoe looked over the odd assortment.
"Well, I uh, have to make up his face again."
"You did this before?"
"Yes."
Zoe turned an accusatory look on the Doctor. "And that's how Jamie's face got changed, you did it all wrong!"
The Doctor wrung his hands. "Well—no—no, no, no! I-I-I was rushed."
The Doctor, with some trepidation, reached out to make a selection.
"Now … ah …"
Zoe clenched her hands, wanting to take over..
"There we are." The Doctor picked up the wrong eyes.
For heaven's sake, doesn't he know what Jamie looks like? I'd know those gray eyes anywhere.
She had looked into them often enough in their short time together. She had seen them light up with mischief, darken with anger, roll in exasperation, warm with compassion.
The Doctor looked to her for confirmation. Zoe vigorously shook her head.
"Alright! I know!" The Doctor fussed, feeling guilty for drawing a blank on the face of his companion that had been with him for so long. "Erm … there we are."
Zoe nodded approvingly when he chose the narrow gray eyes that turned down slightly at the corners. He stuck it to the face. "There. One."
This was beginning to feel like "pin the tail on the donkey" but without the blindfold.
The Doctor's eyes brightened as he went for the next feature.
"Ah! That's his nose. You can't mistake his nose."
Zoe smiled. No indeed, no one could mistake that nose. It was strong and straight but still had something of the child about it, tending to flare when he was upset.
Next was the mouth. She watched the Doctor reach for the board then draw back in uncertainty. He looked to her.
The mouth was a tad harder but it did not take her long to spot it. Those wide full lips, always ready for a laugh or a grumpy scowl. She been on the receiving end of the latter for the most part.
The Doctor grabbed the correct mouth. Zoe beamed with relief. The Doctor clapped his hands, looking pleased with himself, like a child who's managed to insert the correct shapes into the correct holes.
"There you are! You see!"
The cardboard cut out suddenly filled out into three dimensions and Jamie's arm came slicing down with the dirk, giving the air a nasty blow. He stumbled forward.
"Jamie!" Zoe cried in relief. "Thank goodness you're back!"
"Back? What'dye mean back? I'd nae been anywhere …"
"You've got your face back," Zoe supplied.
"I have?!" Jamie grabbed his face.
"Here, look!" The Doctor pulled out a hand mirror from his jacket and handed it to Jamie.
"Oh! You're reeght I have! Och, tha's mich better!"
—-
"I'm sure he wouldn't have gone off without—what's that?"
Zoe bent down to pick up the familiar object.
"His jacket!"
"Well, he must be around here somewhere …"
"Jamie!" Zoe called for him, clutching his jacket with a rising sense of panic.
"Who's that?" The Doctor frowned as he peered through the dim light then his brow cleared when he beheld the welcome figure of Lemuel Gulliver approaching …
—
When the Doctor put Jamie's jacket on her she immediately noticed how it smelled like Jamie, and sandalwood, leather and grass is what he smelled like. She pulled the jacket closer around her. She liked a puzzle, but she also liked rules and there were no rules in this world they found themselves trapped in. She hated it.
Where was Jamie?
—-
The Karkas's arm came down on her shoulder. Zoe grabbed his wrist in a blind attempt to ward him off and the next thing she knew, the Karkas was stumbling forward. She had thrown him off. Zoe looked at her own hands in surprise.
Had she just done that?
She had not much time to reflect because he had spun around to make a grab for her. Zoe swiftly ducked and evaded. Unfortunately the Doctor had been standing right behind her. He was tossed aside like a used rag.
Enraged, Zoe managed to get behind the Karkas and kicked out at the back of his leg. The Karkas snarled and made a flying leap for her. She ducked again and unfortunately the Doctor had been standing behind her again.
"Oh! Oh no!" The Doctor wailed. "Don't do anything rash!"
Something told Zoe that this world of fiction was working in her favor for once. Taking a chance Zoe grabbed at him to get him off the Doctor. The Karkas turned to take a swipe at her. She grabbed his arm and flipped him.
"Lesson 17!" She had just successfully done move seventeen, just like the diagram in the comic. He went at her again, she manipulated his momentum and threw him over.
"Lesson 32!"
Again. And again.
This was fun! If Jamie could see her now!
The Karkas was on the ground, gasping with exhaustion. Zoe rushed over and took his arm in a headlock.
"You've got to submit, you know!" She cried with authority. "The carotid artery can only take a certain amount of pressure!"
"Help!"
"Do you submit?"
"I submit!"
Zoe beamed in triumph. "That's better!"
The Karkas lumbered to his feet. "I am your slave. Command me."
"Do you know the way to the citadel?" Zoe asked.
"Yes."
"Well," joined the Doctor, "take us up there, that's a good chap."
"I obey."
As they made to follow the Karkas Zoe explained to the Doctor, "On the Wheel I, um, followed his adventures in the strip section of the Hourly Telepress."
"Oh, the strip cartoon of the year 3000?"
Zoe frowned, surprised he seemed unfamiliar with the popular character. "You've been to the year 3000 before, haven't you?"
"Yes, but I hardly had the time to follow strip cartoons."
"Well, you'd better follow that one—he's halfway up that cliff, come on!"
—-
When she spotted the Highlander through the doorway at the end of the long white corridor she called his name.
"Stay where ye are!" He called back.
"What's happened?" The Doctor yelled back. Jamie put up his hands to stop them from coming through the door way.
"There's an electrical gadget 'round here tha' sets off an alarm. I walked through it, the gong went off and they sent a gang of robots after me."
"Robots?" Zoe asked, alarmed. "You mean the same ones we saw before?"
"Aye, the big white ones, aye!"
"It's a simple photo-electronic cell," said the Doctor. "I'd better lift you over it." He picked up Zoe as easily as if she were a child and hoisted her over the sensor into Jamie's outstretched arms.
"Careful!"
Once Zoe's feet hit the ground Jamie helped her right herself. He then noticed her extra garment.
"Oh, my jacket!"
Zoe shrugged out of it and Jamie put it on. It was warm from her body heat.
"Oh, Jamie, what happened to you when you left the tunnel?" Zoe asked as they followed the Doctor down the citadel corridor.
"I was chased by one of those tin soldiers …"
Jamie glanced at her then and happened to notice her jumpsuit zipper had become undone down to her collarbone. He quickly glanced away, focusing on the Doctor's back.
"Luckily, I climbed up the cliff up here …"
As they talked Zoe soon noticed it herself and zipped it back up, to Jamie's relief.
—-
"Oh don't be alarmed," said the seemingly omnipresent voice of the Master. "Won't you walk into my parlor?"
The Doctor quirked an eyebrow and remarked gravely, "Said the spider to the fly …"
A door behind the trio yawned open and they slowly turned to face it. Zoe's legs began to tremble, involuntarily it seemed. She found herself automatically looking to Jamie for reassurance. Jamie met her gaze and on seeing her fear, immediately wrapped his left arm around Zoe's back and gripped her shoulder adding an encouraging squeeze. Zoe instantly felt a little steadier.
Jamie shot a parting glare at the robots that hemmed them in, daring them to try anything on his watch.
—-
Once inside they were confronted by a glass wall in the shape of a honeycomb. Jamie was standing behind Zoe, both hands on her shoulders, holding her close. Zoe was grateful for his presence at her back. She was sure that she would have collapsed from nerves if he had not been there holding her up.
"I can't see anythin'," he said. His breath tickled her ear. Zoe automatically tilted her head to the side to give him room as he craned his neck forward over her shoulder to peer through the glass. His cheek pressed lightly against hers.
"Where are you?" The Doctor demanded.
"Here! Patiently … waiting."
The glass honeycomb turned out to be a door. It suddenly split apart and admitted them into the room.
The disembodied Voice now had a source: a rotund old man sitting at a desk who looked like an older version of Bob Cratchitt or Ebenezer Scrooge himself, than the oppressive mastermind of a logic-defying world.
With his hands still on her shoulders, Jamie and Zoe inched their way forward along with the Doctor. Jamie's head kept swiveling, looking over their shoulder in an attempt to assess all possible threats in the room besides the one in front of them.
"Oh, Doctor, this is a great pleasure!" Exclaimed the man as if they really had just stepped into a cozy parlor on a social call. "And your two young companions—let me see—" the odd man consulted the notebook in front of him. "Oh! Yes, yes, yes—Zoe and Jamie; I have your dossiers here in front of me."
"You appear to be very well organized," Zoe said dryly, but her eyes were wide with alarm.
"Oh, yes, indeed. You have to be. The running of this requires enormous attention to detail." The man's eyes took on a proprietary glint. "It's a responsible position, but very rewarding."
The Doctor's eyes narrowed. "Responsible, eh? To someone else …"
"Not just someone, another power, higher than anything you can begin to imagine …"
The Master then launched into his identity, who he had once been: a serial writer for a newspaper in his time before he was snatched away by the power and installed to his current position. Just as he was really warming to the subject, the spinning core behind him pulsed and his eyes glazed over. As if an automaton he began to scribble in his notebook.
"Doctor let's get out of here," Jamie whispered. Zoe held her hands clasped to her bosom, fighting down a building hysteria. "Yes, let's! This place gives me the creeps!"
"No," the Doctor hissed back, "I need to find out more."
Jamie put his hand on Zoe's arm. "Alreeght then, you keep him talking and Zoe and me will find another way out."
"No, I think it would be safer if we all stick together."
But Jamie was adamant.
When the Master came out of his trance to continue his conversation with the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe casually made their way to his desk. Then Jamie touched Zoe's back to direct her to keep walking.
They found themselves inside what appeared to be a large study lined with shelves and shelves of books and papers.
"I don't think he noticed," Zoe said, her voice breathless from nerves. Jamie put a reassuring hand on her shoulder before pointing down a passageway leading deeper into the room. "Let's try down there."
But it led to a dead end of more shelves.
"We've got to find a way out of here!"
"There's got to be a door somewhere … look we've got to get the Doctor—"
Zoe's eyes widened with horror and she gripped his arm and pointed behind him. "Jamie!"
The Highlander turned to see those horribly familiar white robots closing in on them. Jamie grabbed Zoe and they slipped away from the robots, running heedless of direction in hopes of escape.
The robots cut them off and began throwing waves of debilitating energy at them from dishes on their chests. Jamie and Zoe screwed their eyes shut and clasped their heads in pain.
"Oh, Jamie, my eyes!" Zoe cried. Jamie desperately groped for her.
"Where are ye? I can't see ye!" He then felt his hand make contact with her chest, but he had no time to blush, he kept his hand where it was and pushed her back away from the robots. In the next moment he stumbled into her. Zoe automatically wrapped her arms around him, gripping his back for dear life. His arms curled protectively around her. Zoe suddenly stopped causing Jamie to stumble against her, feeling her small body against his. He planted his hands on either side of her to brace himself away and give her space, then looked up. He saw that they were between the pages of a giant book, and the robots were closing it!
"Oh no!" Zoe wailed. The space grew smaller and smaller. Zoe was suddenly acutely aware of every contour of Jamie's body pressed against her own—as was Jamie.
Fine time to be thinking about that! Was their simultaneous thought before everything went black.
Oddly enough, they were only senseless for what seemed a brief moment. The proverbial lights came back on and they found themselves still between the leaves of the giant book, trying to push it open again.
"Come on, Zoe, push!"
Suddenly they found themselves on the citadel rooftop with Lemuel Gulliver, Rapunzel, the Karkas, and a bunch of children who seemed to have stepped out of the pages of illustrated nursery rhymes.
…...
After witnessing strangest pitched battle either of
them had ever seen, between fictional characters and robots, Jamie and Zoe were able to climb back down into the "parlor" via Rapunzel's hair.
Back in the room Jamie and Zoe were crouched down close together behind the spinning core, trying to figure out how to save the Doctor who was outfitted with a sinister looking helmet with wires trailing out of it to the core. The robots were approaching him.
"Zoe, what can we do? We can't fight those brutes." Jamie was close enough she felt his breath on her face.
"No, Jamie, but the computer controls everything here, the robots included! The Master said it must be protected from overloading!"
Just as the robots were about to neutralize the Doctor Zoe and Jamie leapt from their hiding place and began to push as many buttons on the control panel as they could.
"Stop them!" The Master commanded. "They will overload the master brain! Destroy them!"
The Doctor leapt forward and ripped the cable connecting the master to the master brain off the old man's head.
"Zoe, duck!" Jamie yanked her away from the control panel and pulled her down to the floor with him, partially laying over her to shield her from the robots' blasts firing over their heads, destroying the controls. Jamie pushed himself off of her then grabbed her hand, leading her back over to where the Doctor was. He insisted on taking the Master with them.
"Don't argue Jamie, just give me a hand!"
—
Zoe rose from the desk and stretched. She decided it was time to call it a night, but first she would brew a cup of chamomile.
As she waited for the electric kettle to come to boil her mind continued to run over their subsequent adventures. Many times she had felt fear but the feelings of wonder and the thrills of discovery were greater …
Being on earth in the 1960's to prevent another Cyberman invasion, the strange world of the Krotons, embarrassing antics in a Baltimore roadster, a Virginian dance, a comforting embrace ...
She smiled softly. Her first assessment of Jamie had held true, she was learning a lot from him and the goal of feeling more was being fulfilled with each passing day. The kettle finished and she swirled some of the hot water to warm up the little brown teapot.
"Whadd'ye still doin' up?"
Zoe jumped in surprise, dropping the tea pot. Jamie, who had been standing close behind her, lunged and caught it with his right hand before it hit the ground, but some of the hot water inside had splashed out onto his hand.
Jamie hissed in pain, but to his credit—or his foolishness—he did not let go of the teapot until he replaced it on the kitchenette counter.
"Oh no, Jamie!"
Zoe grabbed his hand and, tucking his whole arm between her own right arm and side, she pulled him over to the kitchen faucet to run cold water over it.
Jamie struggled against her surprisingly strong grip, especially since she had pulled him into a position that forced him close against her. He was so close Zoe could feel his heart racing against her back. Before she had a chance to wonder at it, Jamie began to struggle.
"Oh, stop fussing, Jamie!"
"Stop yer fussing', woman, I'm alreeght, it's jist a bit o' hot water!" His slight panic and discomfiture made his voice sharper than he had meant it to be.
Zoe abruptly let go and Jamie stumbled back.
Zoe was tight lipped as she returned to the teapot and began to fill it with the dried flowers from a jar.
And here she had been thinking such nice thoughts about him, too …
She was tempted to walk away and leave him in the kitchen, but her pride made her stay and finish what she had come to do; he was not going to ruin her tea.
I bet he would never have spoken to the other girl like that …
Zoe was slightly startled by the unbidden, bitter thought. Here was the downside to wanting to feel more, you had to take the new negative emotions along with the nice ones. What was this one?
"I-I'm sorry, Zoe. I'm just nae good with bein' fussed over, I guess."
"Even with my limited experience I do know taking care of each other is something friends do," she said sardonically. She glanced up at Jamie. His miserable expression stabbed a hole in her anger and drained it out. In its place came remorse. If anyone took good care of his friends, it was Jamie.
"It's okay, Jamie. Nevermind. I shouldn't be so sensitive. I guess with experiencing new emotions learning to control them will take some time."
Jamie looked warily at her, raising an eyebrow. "What new emotion are you having?"
"I don't know ..." Zoe rubbed her face wearily. "It's not a nice one, whatever it is …"
Jamie shifted uneasily, crossed and uncrossed his arms, settling for putting them on his hips.
"I'll … I'll leave you to it, then."
Zoe had been tempted to ask him to stay and take tea with her but then thought it would be better to be alone—alone to disentangle feelings and logic and give it all a proper analysis, something she found was becoming increasingly difficult. She was starting to understand why the Academy had drilled emotions our of their students; it did interfere with her ability to reason and use logic.
—-
A/N 3: This is something I normally do just for fun with my long(er) fanfics, I created a "soundtrack" on Spotify that I'll play to go along with what I'm writing—what could be background music to set the scene for the time they're in, music actually mentioned in the fanfic, or just music to set the mood, or even a song that expresses a character's possible thought process, like, John Wilson's rendition of "How Long Has This Been Going On?" By George Gershwin (love that song).
The songs are in order of story progression, though not all of the story is written yet.
My Spotify handle is Concetta35 and the Playlist is called, of course, "Moments Out of Time." Enjoy!