3. Bedrock.
"It always seems weird when Chloe goes off with you for an outing and comes straight back," Crystelle says. "Knowing your Tardis, I'm always very glad when you do bring her straight back!"
"It saves having to change the time co-ordinates," the Doctor says sheepishly. But the oddities of his Tardis have sometimes meant that a simple outing has turned into an epic adventure and Chloe has been away for weeks only to return to the same moment in time at home.
"How about an outing to see stone-age Man?" The Doctor tries to tempt Crystelle with another educational excursion.
"If you can't find Fred Flintstone, I'm not interested," Crystelle says humorously. She knows that couldn't happen... could it? She smiles. She then considers that the Doctor might try his best.
"They won't actually be called Fred and Thelma!" the Doctor assures her. "Although I did find Robin Hood once." (Ref. TV episode Robot of Sherwood.)
"A likely story!" Crystelle asserts, not having seen it with her own eyes. "Alright, after lunch, if Chloe isn't too exhausted from this morning's trip. Doctor, aren't these outings hugely expensive, though?"
The Doctor smiles. These things have never worried him. The Tardis has ample power tapped from a tame supernova, among other things that it keeps acquiring.
"Not at all," the Doctor assures her. "And I know the very family you can meet."
"Oh, am I coming on the outing, too?" Crystelle asks, surprisedly.
"That would be much better," the Doctor says. "Where they are from, a family is accepted much more readily than an individual. Erm, it's nearer bronze-age than stone-age, but they live like stone-age folk."
Bedrock village.
The Tardis Console monitor screen shows an everyday tree-lined valley. Sheep wander everywhere in and around this village.
As they step out of the Tardis, the rich smells of the forest hit them. The beautiful pungent smells of every forest aroma all mixed together give them a great boost.
"Chloe seems exhausted after her earlier outing, so we ought to be brief," Crystelle says. She knows that outings with the Doctor tend to be rather random in length.
"Have you been here before, Doctor?" she asks.
"Yes," the Doctor reassures her. "The family are great fun when you get to know them! This way."
As they walk through a tree-lined grove along a sheep track they hear a faint voice calling in the distance.
"That's the local pedlar," the Doctor says.
As they draw closer, they hear it more clearly. "Solidung. Get your Solidung here."
"That might be a useful way to introduce ourselves," the Doctor says.
"How are you going to buy any?" Chloe asks, intrigued.
"I've been here before and brought some small change with me," the Doctor says. "Handy."
"This I must see," Chloe says, fascinated.
They approach the pedlar. "You might like to wait here," the Doctor cautions.
But Chloe isn't to be cautioned and carries on with the Doctor.
"Two bags please?" the Doctor requests. He produces two small perfectly spherical stones from a pocket.
"Senuff," the pedlar says snuffling loudly. The Tardis doesn't provide a good translation, maybe due to the pedlar's strong accent.
"What did he say?" Chloe says.
"He said that's enough," the Doctor says, taking the two bags.
"Pwarrh!" Chloe says as the Doctor inspects the contents. She finds the smell repulsive. .
"I told you to stay back there!" the Doctor laughs.
"Sgud?" the pedlar asks.
"Yip," the Doctor replies as they go on their way.
"What did he say then?" Chloe asks.
"He asked me if the Solidung was to my liking, and I said yes, it was." .
"But it stinks!" Chloe objects.
"That means it's very good stuff!" the Doctor assures her. .
"Do keep that bag closed," Crystelle says disdainfully. "What do you need it for?"
"When you visit someone you take a present," the Doctor says.
"And that's the present?" Chloe asks in horror. .
"Here we are," the Doctor says.
"Where are we?" Crystelle asks, looking around, bemused. They appear to be standing in an open field.
"Right by their front-line dwelling," the Doctor says.
"But I can't see any dwelling," Chloe says flatly. .
"Down there, by that tussock of grass." The Doctor points to a tussock of grass. .
"Anyone at home?" he calls out.
As no answer comes, the Doctor is rather disappointed. "I'm sorry, we've come a long way and no-one to meet. But we can go in and look at their dwelling, I'm sure they won't mind."
Crystelle is beginning to think the Doctor is acting rather strangely, asking a tussock of grass if there's anyone at home! Are they visiting Fred Flintstone or the Borrowers? .
As if in an answer to an unsaid request he leaves the two bags outside, quite a way away and down wind. .
The Doctor must lead the way as the two women have no idea how to go into this dwelling; they can't even see it! .
He places his foot on a small slate slab just large enough for a shoe but is half a foot down below ground level. The grass grows rich and tall, obscuring the next step. He places his other foot on that next step which is a whole foot lower, crouches down and steps down again and disappears from view.
"Did you see what he did?" Chloe asks.
"Not really," Crystelle says. "You're the smallest, you go next." Crystelle isn't looking forward to squeezing into whatever dwelling it is. .
Chloe can see the first step and places both her feet on it. She finds the next step by feeling around with her foot beyond and below the obscuring grass. "Why don't they cut the grass just here?" she asks.
The Doctor replies from inside the dwelling, "good camouflage! Another step down and you're nearly in!"
Chloe completes the next two steps too quickly and nearly collides with the Doctor.
"That's so strange," she says.
The dwelling is no more than three feet high inside and only about five feet square. Two enormous slates form the ceiling with grass growing on top.
"Your turn Crystelle," the Doctor encourages.
Crystelle eventually manages to enter. "You have to be fit to get in here!" .
"When you said it was a front-line dwelling, what did you mean, Doctor?" Crystelle asks.
"These dwellings are near to their front-line with the next valley village," the Doctor says. "They've been warring for ages, but they're great people."
"It's not very warm," Chloe says.
"But it's not draughty either," the Doctor says. "The wind doesn't get in here. You just need a sheep skin blanket."
They wrap up warm with some skins from a pile.
"Do we wait for them to arrive home?" Chloe asks.
"We can, but let's have a look around first," the Doctor says.
"But there's only one room, and I've seen it," Chloe says. .
"There are so many things here, though," the Doctor says. He picks up a stone from the floor. "Have a guess what this one is?"
"I've no idea," Crystelle says. "A stone?"
Chloe decides she will just say the same as she just sees a stone.
"It's a knife sharpener," the Doctor says. "See those grooves along the side there?"
There are four neat lines of stones in one wall.
"That's beautiful," Chloe says. She reaches out to touch one of the stones.
"I wouldn't touch it if I was you," the Doctor says. "It will be extremely sharp!"
Chloe pauses and withdraws her hand. "Why would they have something so dangerous that you mustn't touch it right there on the wall?"
"These aren't for decoration," the Doctor says, smiling. "These are for action; they're handy just there. These stones are working flints, sharp and ready for use."
"I can see they're handy," Chloe says, "but how can you use them if you mustn't touch them?"
"There's a knack to touching them. You have to reach the bottom-most one from below and grasp the base."
The Doctor carefully plucks one from the wall.
"Won't they be annoyed that you damaged their display?" Chloe asks.
"Ah, but it's not a display. Can you see these bundles on the floor? What do you think they are? Have a guess."
"Fire starters?" Chloe says. She can see no other apparent use for a bundle of sticks tied with twine.
"Aha!" the Doctor says, smiling. "These are weapons of war. Possibly the very latest thing!" .
"Never!" Chloe exclaims.
"Watch carefully," the Doctor says. He unwraps the twine. "One stick is longer and much more bendy."
He hooks a knot in the twine around one end, bends the long stick and hooks a similar knot in the twine around the other end.
"A bow!" Chloe exclaims. "Wow. So, what are the other sticks for?"
"Oh, they're the arrows!" the Doctor tells her casually, they laugh. "They call this bundle of twigs a bow wrap. But look how this stone from the wall fits into the end of the arrow."
Chloe picks up one of the arrows. "Why isn't it sharpened? Why is there a notch on both ends?"
"Because the stone fits into the notch on one end," the Doctor says while fitting a stone into the notch, "then the other end notch fits the bow string. Instant armoury!"
"So, it really is the Flintstones?" Chloe says. .
"Absolutely!" the Doctor confirms, laughing. He has so enjoyed showing them all these things. There are plenty of other things in the dwelling for them to see.
"You should be a museum guide," Crystelle says.
"I was one once, for a while," the Doctor says.
A Little Later.
"I'm not comfortable looking at other people's belongings," Crystelle says, "especially when they aren't there. We should do something else."
A shout is heard outside. "I'm sure the dwellings are somewhere near here."
The Doctor raises his finger to cover his mouth to tell the others to be silent. He crawls near to the door and listens. Through the long grass he can see the figure of the person who shouted nearby without being seen himself.
Shortly the figure runs off.
"I think the village was invaded," the Doctor says.
"By whom?" Crystelle asks.
"The next village," the Doctor says. "They mentioned trouble last time I was here."
A minute later, a shoe appears on the step and the Doctor retreats rapidly. Another shoe steps down and a crouching figure enters the low room.
"Greetings, friend," the Doctor says.
The newcomer takes a moment to adjust his eyes to the darkness in the dwelling.
"Aha, the Doctor?" he says in a husky voice. "Visiting us again, so soon? I wondered who's the Solidung was outside."
"Is this Fred Flintstone?" Chloe asks. .
"As Fred Flintstone as they come around here," the Doctor says. "Meet Fox".
"Wow," Chloe says. She holds her hand out to him, but he just carries on and sits down against the wall. .
"Sorry, they don't do that here," the Doctor tells Chloe quietly.
Introductions follow.
"My friends were interested to meet you and your wife," the Doctor says. "Where is your wife?"
"Fetching water," Fox says.
"Does she need help?" Crystelle asks, keen to make a better impression.
"No," Fox says. Apparently he is a man of few words, or maybe he is shy to begin with, or maybe his confidence in his wife's capabilities is very high. Self-sufficiency may be paramount here.
The long day has caught up with Chloe and she looks like she will soon fall asleep. As she isn't sitting against the wall, Fox feels this should be remedied. "Chloe, sit yourself against the wall, why don't you," he says gently.
"Where do you sleep?" Chloe asks. She can't see any beds and nowhere to lie down full length - it's far too small.
"Ah, just against the wall there," Fox says casually. "Sitting up between those two stones that stick out a bit." .
Chloe is appalled. "You can't sleep like that!"
"I think they do sleep like that here," the Doctor says. He smiles to break the slight awkwardness caused by the contradiction. "We've had a long day and Chloe is tired. Maybe we should be going."
Fox's wife arrives at the dwelling entry. She has a bubbly and beautifully homely voice. "Oh, a nice bit of Solidung," she says cheerily. She enters and is surprised to find so many greeting her. "My name is Vixen - well it would be when I'm married to Fox! We change our names like that when we get married."
"They also have many other pretty names for each animal," the Doctor says, "so they have plenty of choice of beautiful names."
"We were very lucky earlier," Vixen says. "T'other village overran us. Lucky we all got out. They sometimes smoke us out if they can't loot us. They can never find our dwellings, though, and nobody's going to show them how to get in!" .
"What did they take?" the Doctor asks.
"I saw them heading off with a bag of Solidung," Vixen says.
"How many bags did you get, Doctor?" Fox asks.
"Two, actually," the Doctor says.
"Oh, you seem to have rescued our village from being burnt, there's only one bag out there now," Fox says. "We are in your debt." .
"Well, don't worry about that," the Doctor says. "I'm only too glad we inadvertently helped." .
"We should be getting back," Crystelle says, observing Chloe nodding off.
Home, sweet home.
"What did you like best about today?" the Doctor asks Chloe, "or maybe; how would you impress someone telling them about today?"
Chloe pauses. "Today, I've been in a stone-age dwelling – I can say that can't I, without saying I've been time travelling – and I've looked into a raw nuclear fusion reactor with no protection! How about that?"
"When did you do that?" the Doctor asks. "You didn't do that today!"
"Yes, I did," Chloe says. "I glanced up at the Sun." .
"Your own bed is by far the most comfortable bed in the world," Crystelle assures Chloe.
Chloe is already sure of this and gladly drifts off to her bedroom. It's been a long day for her and it's not tea-time yet.
"Some of your outings are longer than others, Doctor," Crystelle says. She knows exactly why. "I think I'll have to get Chloe a wristwatch. Then I'll know how long she's been away."
The Doctor smiles. "That'll be useful." Parental protection is so useful, usually.
"Will you stay over, or will you be getting back home to Gallifrey, now?" Crystelle asks.
Both options are very welcoming to the Doctor. Basing himself on Gallifrey recently has many advantages. He knows he can just take a quick trip home whenever he wants... if the Tardis permits him to! .
THE END
The previous episode in this series is called "The Silurian Petard" (ref. 27).
The next episode in this series is called "The Wristwatch Tardis." Now we know where the wristwatch came from.
I hope to add further episodes soon.
Sparse References.
Reference 4 Episode Step Carefully in this series,
where Crystelle met the Doctor.
Reference 27. Episode The Silurian Petard, the previous episode in this series.
At points in the story where there is humour, an additional full stop is added. .
ANOTHER END
