Dr. Bradley Hearn had always been fascinated with prehistoric creatures. Why they were called 'pre'historic never made much sense to him. Perhaps it worked back when they had little to no proof of creatures predating humankind, but that had been disproven long before he was even born.
Hearn had ultimately gotten into engineering and robotics, having been convinced by his family that it would be more profitable than paleontology. Even then, he'd never quiet let his fascination die down. He supposed he owed it to his benefactors that he could blend his passion with his work.
He chuckled to himself, tinkering with the fidgeting clockwork creature beneath him. His grandchildren used to say that he was so enraptured by dinosaurs because he was one himself.
If only they could see him now. Thanks to his generous benefactors, his work would forever change the fields of science. The entire world would be shaped by him. It was a comforting thought.
The rather loud sound of a knock on his door startled him out of his reverie. He fidgeted uncomfortably as a second knock quickly followed. Had Ivan let someone past? Why? How? What were they here for?
Hearn resolved to focus on his work and leave the door. He hoped that if he acted like no one was home, they'd just go away...
The Doctor and Frizzle had met up with Amy, Rory, and the students, outside of the same abandoned building from earlier. They had had a slight problem with the same man guarding the building as before.
"That's the creep." Amy whispers into The Doctor's ear. The alien nudged Frizzle as they both looked over the approaching man curiously.
"Looks like advanced hypnosis." he said.
"You think so?"
"Yeah, probably some kind of neuralyzer. Now that's definitely Baltain in origin."
"Should be an easy fix in that case."
With that, Frizzle moved her arm to the man's head and with a quick touch rendered him unconscious without breaking stride.
The kids looked on in confusion before following their teacher.
"What did you just do?" Asked Ralphie, voicing the thoughts of all of them.
"Ooh, nothing you all need to worry about," said Frizzle, "That's just an old trick I picked up on. Quick way to cancel out a bad case of hypnosis. He'll wake up in a minute and probably go straight home."
The kids turned to each other with looks of admiration for their teacher, as The Doctor knocked on the large door.
"You're sure this is the place you saw the pterosaur land?" He addressed Dorothy-Ann and Rory, who replied with curt nods.
The Doctor stood in wait without receiving any reply before knocking again. Receiving yet another bout of silence, The Doctor pulled out his screwdriver.
"Hang on, wait, wood. Never mind! Amy! Rory! We're looking for a window. Val, stick with the kids. If we're not back in seven minutes, feel free to come in after us."
Frizzle nodded as The Doctor, Amy and Rory ran around the building.
The window un-latched with a loud Clack before the three time travelers slipped into the building. After a few moments of searching, the trio heard the sound of tinkering and whispering coming from a nearby room. Pecking their heads through a doorway, they observed an aged man with wild hair and goggles operating on the robotic pterosaur. The room was cluttered, the man surrounded by various other mechanical parts and large objects covered in tarps.
"Really, the least they could do is allow me to hire some people," the man mumbled to himself, "a few extra hands. But NO, that'd break the confidentiality agreement..."
"Are you saying you made these all yourself?" The Doctor's voice rang out. He'd somehow walk right up to the man without him, Amy or Rory noticing.
"I told Val you had to be stone cold brilliant, but to have done it all completely alone, that's...well..."
The Doctor found himself unable to finish his compliment, as the elderly man cowered backwards from him.
"What are you doing here?" he asked in a panic, "W-who told you I was here?"
The Doctor raised a hand in benevolence.
"Take it easy," he said, "Take it easy! We're not looking for trouble."
"Well, actually," said Rory, alerting the man to his and Amy's presence, "we did break in here."
"Plus," piped up Amy, "We're dealing with robot dinosaurs and that just begs trouble."
The Doctor shrugged. "Well, ok, fine, scratch that bit. Yeah, we're here about the dinosaurs, but if you want to tell us your name first we can be patient. I'm The Doctor, and this is Amy and Rory."
"M-my name is Hearn. Bradley Hearn." The man stammered, before attempting to usher them out. "N-now you simply m-must l-l-leave! There are n-no - there is- no one allowed in here?"
"Oi? And why not?" asked The Doctor, avoiding Hearn's grasp. "Afraid to talk about your little big projects? Not saying I can't understand, the whole Giant Robot market is a hard one to get into. Just ask Hogarth Hughes come two years' time. But still, these are QUITE the remarkable specimens here. Just absolutely...beautiful! Why wouldn't you want to capitalize?"
"Ooh, my work will be recognized in due time," Hearn said with an appreciative smile that quickly faded, "B-but until then, no one must see! It is imperative. B-by order of my benefactors."
"You're benefactors?" Amy asked inquisitively. "Who might they be?"
"Th-that's confidential!"
"Ooh, the time for confidentiality is long over." said The Doctor, looking at his watch.
Before Hearn could ask what he meant, in walked Valerie Frizzle and her class.
"Didn't I tell you?" said The Doctor. "We're chaperoning a field trip. And the kids are very curious."
"Ch-children?" Hearn stammered aghast. It felt like ages since he'd last seen a child. Certainly since in this building.
"So you're the one who decided that a mechanical T-Rex in the middle of the city was a good idea?!" asked Arnold as he pointed an accusing finger at Hearn.
The old man backed away, flinching nervously as his back made contact with one of the tarp-covered objects.
"W-w-well, yes-"
"Don't mind him," Phoebe interjected suddenly, "Arnold gets a bit confrontational when his friends could get hurt. He's sweet that way. I for one think it's cool that you've made completely mechanized animals."
"Especially animals no human being has ever seen up close." chimed Dorothy-Ann.
Carlos scoffed. "Yeah, for good reason! Those things could kill someone!"
It was at this that Hearn decided to take offense.
"N-no," he articulated, "I n-never meant to h-h-hurt anyone! I specially designed circumstances so they would never harm another human being. Th-that's why they never go out during the day, only when everyone is inside, so that everyone stays safe!"
"Tell that to the night guard..." Amy muttered, causing Hearn to turn on her.
"Any...m-malfunctions you may have witnessed may be attributed entirely to you and these...children. You-you-you're all u-unsanctioned r-rouge variables!"
"Uncertified what now?" asked Ralphie incredulously.
"It means that I cannot be expected to account for your actions!" said Hearn, "M-my work is s-s-strictly intended to advance the fields of science!"
Hearn stumbled back to the pterosaur and opened its eyelid.
"Th-this one here...she to me everything. W-with her eyes, she tells me things..."
Amy and Rory leant over The Doctor's shoulders as he examined the eyes with the screwdriver.
"Cameras," The Doctor said with a whistle, "Masterful."
Hearn's look of apprehension turned into a gleeful smile as his work was praised yet again. "Yes, far beyond my contemporaries, my benefactors said." His face then contorted back to one of worry.
"M-my benefactors- no, you must leave! All of you m-must get out!"
It was at this moment that Tim leant over to Ms. Frizzle and asked, "Ms. Frizzle, what's wrong with him?"
"Why, whatever do you mean?" the teacher whispered back, "Beyond the stuttering, volatile mood swings and inability to control inflection or volume, I mean? I'd simply take those to mean he hasn't talked to anyone in a long, long time."
"Tell me, Hearn," The Doctor said, looking with some concern over a set of nearby blueprints, "How long has it been since you've spoken to someone? Aside from your benefactors that is?"
Hearn hesitated, looking wide-eyed as if he hadn't ever asked himself this question.
"Y...y-years." he said, "Years."
The Doctor gave Hearn a piteous look while the kids all tilted their heads.
"You've been in here for years?" Ralphie asked incredulously.
"I've never found the phrase 'Get a life' more fitting." Carlos joked.
Hearn looked down in shame as Carlos yelped due to a strike in the back of the head by Wanda.
"I can't help that I'm not permitted to speak to anyone." Hearn said, "It's what the benefactors demand!"
"Ugh, enough with the cryptic-ness, k pally?" groaned Amy, "Who are these bloody benefactors?"
Hearn paused for a long moment as everyone in the room awaited his answer. He kept his head down and silently berated himself for digging himself into this hole.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He said finally.
"Try us." Amy retorted.
"Well we know they aren't human." The Doctor said, tossing the blueprints he had been looking at to Frizzle. "What d'you see, Val?"
Frizzle looked over the prints curiously before a look of realization hit her.
"Curious." She said, "It's like half the design was done by human hands and the others half not."
"I couldn't quite be sure back on the bus, but there it is." The Doctor ran over to one of the tarp covered objects, Hearn following him in a quiet panic.
"Textbook Shadow Proclamation."
"Shadow Proclamation?" the children asked in chorus, their eyes following The Doctor.
"Space authorities." Frizzle clarified as simply as possible.
The Doctor grasped the tarp covering the largest object as Hearn desperately tried to pull him away.
"No! No, what are you doing!?" Hearn asked.
"Something's been whispering in your ear," The Doctor said, "getting you to build these things for a very specific reason. I'd like to have a word in regards to why."
"No, but you can't!" Hearn said, his voice shaking now.
"And why not? We've met before-"
With that, The Doctor yanked off the tarp, revealing a large glass case. The kids, Amy, and Rory all gasped at the cases contents. Frizzle had the same reaction, though for a slightly different reason.
Lying inside the case was a large, naked, rhinoceros man.
"Isn't that right, Tybo?"
AN: So this chapter took a mite longer than I originally intended. Expect the next chapter to take a bit. Sorry for that.
Anyway, a different note, I put two separate sci-fi movie references in this chapter. Anyone who can identify both of them gets a cookie, I guess.