Chapter Thirty-Six - Gadgets And Gizmos Aplenty

Jimmy Olsen had only ever spent one Christmas in Kingston Falls but it wasn't one he would forget in a hurry. Now he found himself back there, and this time he'd brought a Tardis along. As he, and his fellow occupants, looked at the scarf-wearing green monsters on the snowy streets outside, now singing them a garbled Christmas carol, Jimmy knew it was time to make his voice heard.

"We've got to get away, Doctor. They're dangerous."

"But that's why we've got to stay," replied The Doctor, who was actually enjoying the monsters' rendition of We Wish You A Merry Christmas. "Somebody's got to protect the local civilians."

Chloe walked over to the Tardis' door and slammed it on the monsters outside. "What about Clark? We've just abandoned him in Smallville with those two psychopaths."

"It was Clark's decision," replied The Doctor.

"It was a stupid decision," said Chloe, and then turning to Lex added "No offense, Clark."

The Doctor looked at Chloe, wincing as he heard the damage the now-disgruntled monster's claws were doing to the Tardis' exterior. "But Clark put a lot of thought into that decision."

"Okay," said Chloe, "so it's pre-meditated stupidity which makes it even worse. You should have stopped him."

"Even if I'd wanted to stop him, I probably couldn't have," argued The Doctor. "Besides, it looks like he's just following fate. He'll meet Louise, she'll die, and then we can pick him up again."

"You really think Clark will let Louise die?" asked Chloe. "Especially after the trauma Lana's death's caused him."

"Hope so. It'll make things a lot easier on the timeline," replied The Doctor flippantly. "Now let's save the locals."

"There's no need," interrupted Rose. "They'll be okay. I've seen the film."

"There's a film?" replied The Doctor.

Rose nodded. "So there's not much point hanging around here, is there? We may as well get on with our journey, rather than risk our lives to save people who'll be saved anyway."

The Doctor looked around at the faces of his other passengers who were all nodding in agreement with Rose. A new set of monsters and he'd have to leave them - there was no justice in the Universe.

"Killjoys," exclaimed The Doctor, as he gave a swift kick and the Tardis' console sprang into live.


Back in 1961 Smallville, Clark led Zod and Ursa into the local caves, hoping that they'd provide a passage back to Krypton.

"So," exclaimed Zod, "soon the mighty Jor-El will arrive."

"Well, I've got a small confession to make," said Clark sheepishly. "It looks like that drifter who I thought was Jor-El was actually me."

Zod looked at Clark in disbelief. "You? you're Jor-El?"

Clark nodded. "Time travel," he explained.

Ursa looked at Clark wistfully. "Well I guess it explains the uncanny resemblance. Such a shame, I was looking forward to meeting him. What with you and him together it would have been like twins."

As Zod glared at her, and Clark blushed, she continued. "Don't raise your eyebrow to me like that, Zod. I can't help it. I'm pregnant - I've got strange cravings."

Zod decided to keep silent at that point, rather than pointing out to Ursa that she'd always had strange cravings.

"So, Kal," continued Ursa, "how do these caves work?"

Clark looked back at Ursa stunned. "I've no idea. I thought that you'd know."

Zod and Ursa looked at Clark blankly.

"Wish I'd brought my key," said Clark. "That might have helped. Hey, wait a minute - that drifter had a key and I don't, so he can't be me."

Ursa looked at the massive smile that had broken out over Clark's face. "Either that or you find one," added Ursa, bursting Clark's bubble. "If other Kryptonians have been here then maybe they've left a spare key behind somewhere, maybe hidden one. Have you checked under the rocks?"

"That's ridic-" started Zod, just as Clark interrupted him. "Over there! Under that one!" shouted Clark, pointing to a rock.

Zod walked over to the rock and found an octagonal disc beneath. "This is a key?"

"That's right," said Clark, feeling mixed emotions. He was excited about the key, but sad that his possession of it now pointed back to him being the drifter. "In my vision the drifter used the key to store the medallion over there." He pointed to a spot on the cave wall.

Zod held the key against the wall and suddenly some animated symbols appeared on the wall and then a hole in the wall opened up. Zod couldn't help noticing the shape of the hole - it was the same shape as the symbol Joe-El and Superman had worn in his reality.

"What's in there?" asked Clark.

Zod put his hands in the hole and searched around. "It's empty," he finally said.

"Wonderful," exclaimed a bored Ursa "we've found a locker key."

Zod threw the key towards Clark in disgust. As Clark caught the key and placed it in his pocket, Zod started to walk towards him. "You imbecile. What sort of wild goose chase have you brought us on? Where's the technology you promised us … the computers?"

"They're here," said Clark defensively. "We just have to work out how to activate them."

"What if we never work out how to activate th-" started Zod, but as soon as he'd said the word activate a voice recognition subroutine hidden within the caves recognized his voice and a bolt of energy shot out of the wall towards him, holding him there.

As Zod stood there, unable to move, unable to speak, Clark and Ursa watched on helplessly as an electronic voice filled the caves.

Greetings, Professor Jor-El. Shall we play a game?


The Tardis materialized.

"So, what's this place like?" asked Chloe.

Jimmy struggled to remember where the next stop would be and then, once he'd remembered, smiled. "Oh, this place is great. We can relax, get something to eat. The announcements can get a bit annoying but apart from that …"

"I've heard enough," said Rose. "Let's go and take in the sights."

Chloe nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a good idea."

"Okay," said The Doctor, a bit bored by Jimmy's description, "let's go. Everybody meet up back here in an hour say."

"What about that?" asked Lex, pointing to the device that Ursa had made to cause him so much pain.

"Don't worry, Lex … I mean Clark. I'll deactivate it."

"Thanks, Doc," said Lex.

"Come on, Clark," said Chloe, grabbing his gloved hand. "Let's get out of here. I'm tired of being cooped up in the Tardis."

"Okay, if I tag along?" asked Jimmy.

"Sure," lied Chloe, "the more the merrier."

And so, while Lex, Chloe and Jimmy explored the outside world, The Doctor started disassembling the device with his sonic screwdriver. "So, Rose, what were those monsters we met earlier?"

"Oh, them? They were Gremlins."

"Wonder if we'll meet any again?"

"Do you think we'll be going back to that reality?"

"Well actually," said The Doctor, disabling the device, "we never left it. Different time, different place, but same reality."

Suddenly there was a knock on the Tardis' door. Rose looked at The Doctor apprehensively. "Don't worry," he reassured her, "it's probably just one of the others who's forgotten something."

Opening the door, The Doctor saw a group of monsters, similar, yet different, to the one's he'd seen before.

As Rose came to his side, he asked her "Gremlins again?"

"Kind of," she replied. "They're the new batch."

"Actually, we prefer the terminology Mogwai," said the monsters' bespectacled leader. "No, make that Mogwai Superior. Now, Doctor, about this Tardis of yours - we simply must have it."

"It's not for sale," replied The Doctor.

"We're prepared to haggle," replied the Mogwai. "Actually my companions would prefer it that way. Now, just so that we can maintain a running count, may I be so bold as to enquire how many incarnations you have left?"