Chapter Twenty Nine
Moonbase Alpha was bursting with feverish activity with all sections halting experiments and closing their sections down one last time. The department heads were being especially particular on how things were to be shut down, each knowing that Moonbase Alpha would be inspected with a fine tooth comb. They were proud of all they'd accomplished and they wanted it to show in the organization of their sections and improvements that had been made over the course of their journey. Even though they were ecstatic to be leaving Alpha, they felt as if they were leaving an old friend behind. Most had finished early and retreated to their quarters to make sure all of their person belongings were packed. Only the essential services of command, life support, food services and medical remained on mandatory duty.
John Koenig looked around him in Command Center. Maya was typing furiously on her keyboard as was Sahn, each woman tying up loose ends and preparing for the computer to be shut down in a little over a hour. Tony and Alan were each down in their sections tying up loose ends. He himself had visited Main Mission and his old office one more time. He debated trying to get his old standing floor globe home but decided it was far too big to pack. He thought of Helena and their last night on Alpha. They'd spent it together, rekindling their love one more time and he smiled. He'd asked her to marry him and they'd made tons of plans, some silly, some far reaching and some easily attainable.
He'd also had his last breakfast on Alpha with the Doctor, Sarah Jane and Helena. The Doctor had clarified Earth's plans for the Alphans on their arrival. While Helena tried not to take issue with the required physicals on the surface, he knew her well enough to know that she did. He'd sent out a verbal as well as a physical memo of their immediate itinerary on their return to Earth to all sections of Alpha earlier. He'd heard very little squabbling over it since most would have jumped through fire to get back to Earth.
He heard a child giggling behind him and swiveled his chair around just in time to have Jackie Crawford jump into his lap. "Hi Uncle John, Mommy says we're going on a big trip. I made you this." he said in a quick babble, as young children do.
John looked up to see his mother looking rather embarrassed. "I'm sorry Commander, but he insisted on seeing you after I told him the news." Sue Crawford blurted out nervously as she flipped her dark hair back. Jackie was three years old now and being the only child on Alpha, he kept his mother and any other unfortunate soul that Jackie latched onto very busy.
"Nonsense, I'm always glad to see Jackie." He rubbed his hand over the child's dark hair and then examined the drawing he'd been given. "This is beautiful Jackie." It appeared to be some long lines with what might be wheels on each end. He looked to Sue for help.
"Jackie wanted to make sure you had a picture of an Eagle." she smiled as she explained her child's drawing.
"That has to be the best drawing of an Eagle I've ever seen. Are you excited to see Earth Jackie?"
"What's Earth?" Jackie asked curiously.
"It's a planet that your mother, father and all of us are from. There's a lot to do there. There are so many places to run and play and wait till you see the toys. You are going to have a wonderful time." John hugged him warmly. He was truly going to miss Jackie. On Alpha he was like a breath of fresh air and hope for the future, a future that was now not just a dream or fantasy, but one that was in their immediate grasp.
"Come along now Jackie." she said with an outstretched hand that the child took. Looking back over her shoulder she added, "He tells me he needs to see quite a few people today." She held up her other hand loaded with a folder full of drawings, and with that the pair disappeared around the corner.
John looked at the timepiece built into his desk. They had two hours before they were scheduled to begin their journey. John headed to the one section on the base that he visited just as much as medical, Victor Bergman's lab. He tapped the door switch and Victor answered, "Oh yes John, please come in."
John looked over the lab and almost didn't recognize it. Usually there was a ton of paperwork on every surface as well as the floor. Graphs were plastered all over the walls with diagrams covering the several large boards. Today however, it was neat and tidy. There were no papers lying about, the boards washed clean with the only thing on the counter being one of Jackie Crawford's latest masterpieces. "I see Jackie brought you a picture too." John held the drawing turning it around several times before asking, "What is it?"
Victor took the drawing from his hand and turned it around again before answering, "It's a self-portrait." He looked at it and smiled. "I don't think artistry is in his future."
"But now at least he'll have a future."
"True, so true." Victor said quietly.
"Is something wrong Victor?" John had felt it the second he walked into the lab. Seeing the lab all neat and orderly, this was definitely not Victor's lab. Even though he'd ordered everything to be neat and tidy, in this lab it felt like death had invaded and the look on Victor's face confirmed it.
"I think once I get back to Earth, I think that I'll retire." he said as he pushed the few strands of hair on his balding head back.
"Why would you retire?" John asked, confused. Running calculations and doing experiments were like breathing to Victor. He couldn't imagine Victor stopping his work.
"You've heard the Doctor; technology has come so far since we left Earth. Time has moved on without me." He picked up Jackie's picture and stared at it.
"Victor, you have saved us time and time again with your inventions. Trust me when I say that Earth will learn from 'you'. Besides, the Doctor said there will be people there to help us, to bring us up to date." He put his hand on Victor's arm. It worried him to see Victor this morose.
"No, I think the best thing for me to do is retire to a little island, maybe one of the Hawaiian Islands." Victor sat Jackie's drawing down on the counter.
"Well don't go right away. I asked Helena to marry me and she said yes."
Victor's face changed instantly to one of happiness. "John, I'm so happy for you both. Of course I'll be there, I wouldn't miss it." He clasped John's hands shaking them vigorously.
"We hope you won't just come. I'm hoping you'll stand up for me and be my best man."
"I'd be honored John. You're a very lucky man." Victor once again shook his hand and briefly hugged him.
"I know it. We can hardly wait. Helena wants to make sure her family is there and I'm hoping a few of the Alphans don't wander too far away and will be able to attend." John looked at the clock on the wall. "Just under an hour now, I have to get back to Command Center. Want to come?"
"No I'm almost finished here and I still have to check my quarters over one more time." John turned to go and was partly out the door when he heard Victor tell him, "I'm really very happy for you and Helena. You two deserve a happy ending."
"So do you Victor, so do you." The door slid shut behind him.
He arrived in Command Center to see the Doctor and Sarah Jane waiting for him. "Doctor is everything ready?"
The Doctor stood from the desk he'd been leaning against. "I'm ready. Is everything ready on your end?" he asked as he looked around him.
"I'll make the announcement." As the Doctor and Sarah Jane passed him, he called out, "Good luck Doctor."
"Piece of cake Commander. See you when you're in Earth orbit." He took Sarah's hand and they left for the Tardis.
John Koenig sat down at his desk with every eye in the room fixed on him. Flipping a switch he began, "Attention all sections Alpha. In just a few moments our journey to Earth will begin. I ask that all non-essential personnel go to their quarters now. When we reach Earth orbit you will be notified. As I stated this morning a transport ship from Earth, a large ship called the Valiant will land on the Moon and we will begin boarding and be transported to Earth. I would like to thank you one final time for your service, your friendship and the love you have given one another. It has been my honor to serve with you, Command Center out." He flipped the switch closing the channel and looked up to see everyone had returned to their stations.
He looked to Alan and asked, "Are all the Eagles secured?"
"Everything's ready Commander." the blonde Australian answered with a smile.
"Helena is medical ready? Any patients?" he asked her with a smile he reserved only for her.
"No patients and yes, medical has been secured. Bob is there with two nurses in case of any problems." Helena answered with a brilliant smile. She couldn't believe this day had finally come.
"Maya are all the computer tapes ready to be transported?" he asked the beautiful Psychon.
"The computer tapes are ready to be transferred to Earth." Maya turned to the Commander and answered warily.
John knew she was incredibly nervous about her new planet. He'd taken her aside earlier and told her the Doctor had explained everything to Unit about Maya and there wasn't an issue but she was still nervous. He mouthed to her, 'You'll be fine.' He gave her one of his best smiles that she returned.
"Sahn please bring up our remote cameras. Feed the link through to all sections please. I'm sure everyone wants to watch our journey home.
Everyone watched as Sahn's nimble fingers tapped at the keys carrying out the Commander's request. As soon as the picture filled the big screen Sahn reported, "Change of course Commander."
"For once Sahn, that's a good thing." John Koenig answered eliciting laughter.
Inside the Tardis Sarah sat on the velvet seat watching the Doctor enter what she assumed must be coordinates and circled the console pushing button and flipping switches. He put his hand on the sliding lever that would begin their trip to Earth. "Sarah?"
"What?" she asked, anxious to get started.
"Would you like to pull the lever with me and start the trip to take your friends home?" He wanted her to not only be his traveling companion as before but a part of all he is. He wanted to eventually teach her to pilot the Tardis; even now the part of her that was Gallifreyan would have instincts on how to fly her. He decided that he would help her develop them eventually after he was sure her regeneration was complete. He worried that she hadn't had enough rest since regenerating. Maybe it was the small part of her that was still human protecting her, but she hadn't acted erratically in any way as he had in the past. Looking back, he'd had some…reactions, his wardrobe being a major side effect. With Sarah however, the regeneration process seemed to just roll off her. And if he were to be totally honest, he was jealous.
Sarah rounded the central console and joined him as he lifted her hand and placed it on the lever with his on top. Sarah smiled as she felt the power of the Tardis coursing through the lever. Never in the past with any of the Doctors she had traveled with, had they asked her to help pilot the Tardis, so this was quite a shock. "Ready?" she asked.
"Ready." he said breathily in her ear as the pair pulled the lever down together. The central column began going up and down and the familiar sense of movement could be felt. The Doctor took Sarah by the hand and led her to the opposite side. He pulled a monitor down closer to Sarah's eye level and flipped the switch. The screen came to life showing that space was now darting by.
Sarah watched the scene in silence. She'd seen the same scene many times from the interior of an Eagle through one of the viewports, though they hadn't travelled quite as fast.
The Doctor leaned over her shoulder and pointed to the screen with his finger. "See that?"
"Yes but that looks like a black…" she began in shock.
"Hole, yes it is." he finished, oblivious to her shock.
"But Alpha's travelled through black holes before and the damage…"
"Will be nonexistent. I've extended the Tardis protection field around the base. They'll feel nothing." he assured her. He could tell she was nervous about the trip so he decided to try and distract her. He pointed to the three boxes next to the seat. "Why don't you take those to your room?" When she looked hesitant to move he offered, "I'll take them."
As he started to move away from the console Sarah said, "Okay, okay, when did you become so neat?" She knew the Tardis could fly itself but she didn't want him to leave the console room. All of Moonbase Alpha was dependent on the outcome of this trip and as she watched on the monitor, the Tardis and Moonbase Alpha slipped in and out of the black hole without so much as a bump. Sarah smiled in relief.
"It doesn't pay to leave things lying around." He watched her reaction as they came out of the black hole. "See I told you, no problem. When did you become so jittery?"
"When I piloted an Eagle through a black hole." she answered as she picked up one of the boxes and headed to the Tardis' hallway. "Is everything in the same place?" she yelled.
"Right where you left it." he shouted back a reply. He missed having her around more than he ever thought he could. He rubbed the central console and said quietly, "She's back old girl, she's really back." He decided he couldn't be happier nor could he smile any wider.
Sarah walked back into her old room and almost fell against the door. It was exactly as she'd left it that last night. On the bedside table was a cup of tea she'd been drinking and a book lying open face down, each perfectly preserved in the Tardis. That last night the pair had walked through the Tardis' halls, she had no idea that was her last day onboard to say nothing of it being her last day as Sarah Jane Smith. Now she was back with the Doctor and in the Tardis and her future was much brighter than that last day. She set the box on the floor near her dresser and walked over and straightened her bed. She could even still smell her perfume in the air. She opened her closet and ran her hands across her clothes just to prove to herself that she was actually here. She laughed aloud, closed the closet door and returned to the console room to get her remaining boxes. After two more trips to her room she returned to see the Doctor moving round and round the central console. "Anything I can do?" she asked.
"Yes, look at the monitor. What do you see?" he asked as he continued flipping switches and turning dials.
Sarah approached the monitor and in the distance was a tiny ball, getting larger by the second. Sarah's face mirrored the Doctor's, both were totally happy. The Earth was clear now and the Tardis was coming to a stop. Sarah pointed to an approaching ship. "Is that the Valiant?"
"Yes, it's Unit's overgrown shuttle bus." he answered.
"Do I have to go to Earth in that?" she asked almost dreading the answer.
"No! Going to make a little call." he said as he pulled the phone from his pocket.
"What's that?" Sarah asked. When she'd left Earth cellular phones were much larger.
"Kate gave me this phone to contact her." he answered and waited while it rang twice. "Kate, is your father and the others there?" He looked over at Sarah who almost came to attention when she heard him mention the Brigadier.
"Everyone's here Doctor. I assume Sarah Jane would like to see everyone?" she asked already knowing the answer.
The Doctor looked over at Sarah and answered, "I believe she just might want to see them again." In answer, Sarah was literally bouncing on her feet enthusiastically.
"Do you remember the old Unit base location?" she asked.
"Yes of course, not likely to forget it."
"We've been rehabbing it for just such an occasion as this. We cleared the large tract of land where the old building stood and built a landing pad for the Valiant. We've rebuilt onto the adjacent property where the old gymnasium was located. It's very private and will give the Alphans a chance to acclimatize themselves to being back. I assume you'll be arriving by Tardis?" She gathered the papers on her desk at what she liked to think of as 'remote Unit'. This would be the first time they'd used the facility. She looked around the hallways as she walked making sure the rooms were ready with their perspective experts seated inside ready to accommodate the Alphans in any way they could.
"The rooms are clearly marked Doctor. You'll be looking for room five zero six. If you land on any floor but the fifth, there are elevators at each end of the hallway. My father and the others will be waiting for you inside."
"Fantastic. Thanks Kate."
"Oh Doctor, one more thing." she added.
"What's that?"
"Thank you for getting them all home and welcome back to Earth." She smiled to herself.
"See you soon Kate." He hung up the phone and put it back in his jacket pocket. He tapped into Alpha's external cameras and could see the Valiant already docked to Moonbase Alpha. He looked to see Sarah was still wearing her commlock. "Could I borrow that please?" He put his hand out to take it.
"Sure, no problem." Sarah said as she handed it to him.
He pressed a few buttons and was immediately connected with the Commander's commlock. "Commander?"
"Yes Doctor?" answered John Koenig with a huge smile on his face.
"Just wanted to let you know that Sarah and I will be taking the Tardis to Earth and we'll see all of you down there."
"Thank you Doctor. It seems none of us will ever be able to quit saying those words to you." John admitted as he held Helena's hand as they walked through the crowded corridors.
"Not necessary Commander. See you on Earth." He handed the commlock back to Sarah. He walked around the console again and set the coordinates for the old Unit gymnasium building. As before he waited till Sarah had rounded the console and taking her hand under his, they both pulled the lever down together.
In just a few minutes they landed at the site of the old Unit building. As they went down the ramp and exited the door, the Doctor commented, "We are on the same bit of property that the old Unit gym was on." He looked around and found that the Tardis had landed in what appeared to be a large storage room. "This," he pointed his hands down, "was once a shower?"
Sarah looked around in amazement once they left the storage room. "It's hard to believe this is where we used to tease Harry and Benton when we found them 'training'." The Doctor and Sarah laughed at the memory. Everything was pristine and new which was a far cry from the Unit of old.
The Doctor looked at the number on the door across from them. "One zero nine." He looked to the end of the corridor and pointed to the elevator. They entered it and the Doctor pressed the button for the fifth floor.
The elevator arrived and the pair climbed out. "We're looking for five zero six." he said as they walked forward and scanned the numbers on the doors. After a few minutes they found the room. "Ready?" the Doctor asked.