PARISIAN WALKWAYS

The Doctor and Jamie stood frozen in terror, clinging on to each other for comfort. The Tower was swaying as though it was going to fall on top of them and then suddenly it swung in the opposite direction. It looked like it was swaying like a skittle as the smoke began to billow out from its base even more profusely.

The screams on their side of the Tower came to a stop and screams started to come from the other side. The Doctor was puzzling over why it had not already collapsed on top of them when he noticed the expression on the faces of the people around him. Both the people with Lizard faces and those with human faces were smiling and cheering as well as screaming when the Tower swung their way.

There was a sudden thundering crash and crunch from the Tower as it began to pull away from the ground like a 1960s NASA launch. Giant streaks of flame poured out from the tower's base as it rose ever faster toward the sky.

When the Tower had finally disappeared into the clouds and all the screaming and cheering had stopped, the lizard Gendarme returned to the Doctor and Jamie as a human Gendarme approached from the other direction.

"Jacques, come here," said the lizard Gendarme.

The human Gendarme moved beside his colleague. "What is it, Grzzzaruckk?"

The lizard pointed to the TARDIS. "These two gentlemen have illegally parked this transmat device, but after seeing that I don't feel like booking them."

"Yes, it was a splendid launch," Jacques agreed. "And that has to be the first one without any fatalities on the ground in years." The Doctor and Jamie stood silently watching the two Gendarmes with some bemusement as they discussed what to do with them.

"Ok, I'll let them off just this once," Grzzzaruckk decided. "Ok Gentlemen, you can go about your business."

"Just don't forget that next time you'll have to pay the full penalty," warned Jacques.

"The full penalty, what's that?" asked Jamie.

"Oh, it's not too bad. I only bite off one of your hands on the first offence," said Grzzzaruckk.

Jamie stared open mouthed as the two gendarmes strode away. "Doctor," he said finally. "You've brought me to some strange places and times, but this one beats the lot."

"Yes, it does rather," The Doctor admitted. "It's as though humans and aliens live together in harmony on this world. I wonder where we are, exactly?"

Jamie spied a discarded newspaper on the ground. He picked it up. "Mebbe this will tell us," he suggested.

"Good thinking, Jamie," the Doctor complimented him. "Now, let's see." he thumbed through the newspaper, page by page. "Ah, here we are." He read the piece out. "The Parisian sector of Aerht will today witness the launch of the first unmanned space probe, Eiffel 1. Professors Warner and Zorrrrackk are confident that, despite previous failures, this launch will prove to be successful."

"Aye, well that explains the rocket we saw," Jamie noted. "But what does it all mean?"

The Doctor was mildly surprised. "But Jamie, don't you see? This planet is like Earth in many ways, but much more forward thinking." He began to warm to his theory. "The Edwardians were already looking beyond the confines of their own planet at the beginning of the twentieth century. But here on Aerht, they've developed much further, and more successfully too. I wouldn't be surprised if they put a man on their moon by their equivalent of 1920." The Doctor smiled at the thought. "Just think of it, Jamie. We've arrived at the birth of a new era for these people. Just think how much they have to look forward to."

Jamie was so caught up in the Doctor's reverie, that he couldn't help nodding in agreement. Then a thought struck him. "You say that this planet is called Aerht?"

"That's what it says in the newspaper."

"Well, if ye turn the letters around, it reads Earth," Jamie declared. "And another thing. If this is such a perfect copy of Earth in the past, how did it get that way?"

"Yes, that's been bothering me too," the Doctor admitted. "I think we need some answers."

"But where from?"

"Well, there must be a public library somewhere." He led Jamie away from the town square. "I think we need to brush up on some recent history."

Their progress was monitored by a shadowy figure. "Such a fascinating intellect," the figure observed. "I shall have to keep a close eye on you, Doctor."

*****

After obtaining some directions from a trio of lizard people enjoying their coffee in the sunshine, at one of the many roadside cafes, the Doctor and Jamie found themselves on the steps of the Bibliotque de Montparnasse. They couldn't help but notice, as they had walked the mile and a half to the library, that on virtually every other corner, there had been a strange phosphorescent globe, about two feet in diameter, mounted on a nine foot high column. The globes all seemed to sparkle and emit crackling sparks as they passed. They had stopped and looked up at the first globe they had come upon. Jamie had asked the obvious question and the Doctor had just stared up the globe before looking nowhere in particular, his eyes rolling this way and that as he stroked his chin, mumbling indecipherably, before his usual, "Come along, Jamie!" with the Scot non the wiser. Nonetheless, it wasn't long before stopped at the next globe. Having had the same reaction each time they passed a globe, by the time they had reached the fourth one the Doctor had a distinctly worried look on his face, but was exasperating Jamie by keeping his thoughts to himself. So there on the steps of the library, Jamie asked again. "Are ye no gonna tell me about those globe things? I can see you know something!" "Well Jamie, I think that we might be in a bit of bother," he replied, "but I'm not sure. All is supposedly well here, but I am certain it is not. I want to have a look at some old news reports in their archives. It should confirm what I am concerned about." "Yes, but what, Doctor?" "Not just now, Jamie. I want you to do something for me." He was always eager to help. "Of course, but I dinna ken much about this place." "It's alright, Jamie," the Doctor assured him. "While I go inside to search their archive, I want you to stay here and watch out for a tall darkish looking man. He's been following us since we left the TARDIS. He's wearing a black cape and carrying a black walking stick with a large silver handle, shaped like our lizard friends here," indicating the passers by. "If he comes in here, don't try to stop him. Just follow him and see where he goes. But only if he comes in. I think he will find me." "But Doctor, what if...?" "No, Jamie, I will be alright," he insisted. "I think he's as curious about me as I am about him. If he comes, I will see him and know you are somewhere nearby. Try not to let him know you are watching him. We should learn something here." *****

Jamie paced up and down the steps of the library watching people and lizards walking past. Occasionally one of them would ascend the steps and enter the building through the same door the Doctor had gone through.

He had been there for over an hour and had finally sat on the steps with his elbows resting on his knees when a figure approached him from across the street matching exactly the Doctor's description.

"Well, Mr McCrimmon. What a pleasure to see you again," said a man at the bottom of the steps.

Jamie sat there with his mouth open in surprise. This was the last person he expected to see here. He looked different from how he remembered him, but it was definitely the same man. "What are ye doing here?" Jamie exclaimed.

"Patience, Jamie. All will soon become clear when I have spoken to the Doctor. Oh, and one further piece of advice - if you are going to sit at an elevated point of such a large set of steps while wearing a kilt, you may find it advisable to keep your knees together."

Jamie jumped up and turned away. "Shall we go in?" said the man, stroking his greying beard.

* * * * *

Jamie and the man walked side by side, down the rows of books in the library until they came to a reading area. Sitting amongst the citizens using the library was the Doctor with a huge pile of newspapers around him. While Jamie stood back the man went up to the Doctor and tapped him on the shoulder.

The Doctor swung around in surprise and was spluttering out his indignation at the interruption when he saw the man's face and suddenly fell silent. He looked the man up and down. He was much older and more whiskery than he remembered.

"Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart, what are you doing here?"

He smiled. "It's good to see you too, Doctor. And it's Brigadier - retired."

Jamie shared the Doctor's stunned expression. "But how can ye be here, and looking so much older?"

"Jamie, that was hardly tactful, now was it?" the Doctor scolded him. "Still, I had been wondering the same thing myself." The Doctor could still hardly believe that this was the same man he and Jamie had met in the London Underground, battling against the Great Intelligence and its robot servants, the Yeti.

"It's a bit of a long story," the Brigadier replied, "involving one of your future selves. Suffice to say, I now live here with my new wife, in the relative peace and quiet of Aerht."

"I see," the Doctor realised. He knew better than to ask questions regarding his own future, so chose not to pursue the subject. "But I take it that this isn't a social call, eh Alistair?"

He shrugged. "You know me, Doctor. One never really retires. When it comes to military matters, I help out in an advisory capacity every so often."

"And I take it that something is 'up', as the saying goes?"

Lethbridge Stewart pulled up a chair and joined the Doctor, Jamie doing the same. "Yes, something is definitely 'up', Doctor. I assume you both saw the launch of Eiffel 1 today?"

"Aye, it was quite a spectacle, eh Doctor?"

"Indeed it was, Jamie." The Doctor raised his hand for silence as the Brigadier continued.

"The thing is, the scientific community have been severely divided on this - reaching for the stars, that sort of thing. One chap in particular has spoken out on many occasions."

"For or against?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh, very much against. The launch of Eiffel 1 was the first successful launch of an unmanned space probe."

"Yes, we gleaned as much from the newspapers."

"But what the papers haven't said is that previous attempts to launch a probe have met with sabotage. That's why I've been called in to investigate," the Brigadier explained.

"You mean there could be more trouble?" Jamie suggested.

"Exactly, Jamie," the Brigadier replied. "Doctor, I wonder if you."

"Oh, I'd be delighted to help," the Doctor answered enthusiastically. "You mentioned you had a suspect already?"

"That's right. Goes by the name of Zzorrann. Officially, there's nothing on him. But that doesn't stop him from being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Interesting." The Doctor thought for a moment. "Jamie, you stay here and find out as much as you can on this Zzorrann. If he's a noted member of the community there's bound to be something on him."

Jamie nodded. "Alright, Doctor. Then what?"

"Best if you hail some transport to the Halls of Residence - my living quarters," the Brigadier answered. "That's where the Doctor and I will be."

Their plans agreed, the three friends set off on their respective tasks. None of them saw a silent figure, blending into the shadows. "So, this military man is a friend of the Doctor." Sharp eyes followed them. "It changes nothing, but I can see I will need to tread more carefully."

To be continued.