Guys, I've got a poll on my profile for this story, may I ask that you please vote on it? I kind of need it to decide what I want to do.
Also, if there's any plot devices or little scenes you want to see me use, please feel free to review this story with it or PM it to me.
I apologize, this chapter isn't very interesting, but it does set up the setting for the next chapter.
Chapter 4
"Where are we going, Doctor?" Jennifer asked.
"Five billion years into your future to the year five billion one thousand and twenty-three to a planet called New Earth. I've been here a couple of times, and it should be a bit more advanced than last time I was here with Martha," the Doctor said as she flipped switches and turned knobs. "I say a bit, but think about how much your world has changed since 1014 to your time."
"So it'll be future shock for me? Like if they found a caveman frozen in ice, after they defrost him, he'd go into future shock? Like Captain America?"
"I suppose, but it'll be less traumatic for you because you know ahead of time where you're going and that it's way more advanced than 2014. Last time I was here, they had sealed off the under city, making it so if you got on the motorway, you never left. It was like that for a bit more than twenty years before I fixed it. Opened the motorways, and all. I'd rather not go into it all right now, we're almost there!" the Doctor said as she threw a switch.
"It's called New Earth?"
"Yep. In the year five billion, the earth gets roasted, people get all nostalgic, big revival movement, so they find the planet we're visiting. Same air, same gravity, same revolution, stuff like that. Call goes out, and the humans move in! Just remember, people are a lot more sexually liberal, just wait until you meet an old friend of mine, if you ever meet him. Well, you might, might not. No idea."
"Relax, Doctor. Breathe."
"I am breathing!"
"Anyways, when are we landING?!" Jennifer shouted as the TARDIS was lurched sideways as it landed, sending her flying against the wall and the Doctor holding on to the console.
"Now. Wow, way to park, Doctor, let's try again, or what?" the Doctor asked.
"Whatever you like, Doctor, just do something," Jennifer said. The Doctor nodded her head and flipped a switch on the console so the gravity was righted.
"When you cross the TARDIS threshold, you'll experience a change in the gravitational vector. Same numerical value, 9.8 meters per second squared, same as Earth, different direction," said the Doctor as she stepped over the threshold of the TARDIS and onto the freshly trimmed applegrass. She felt a bug bite her neck and swatted it.
"Come along, Jennifer!" she said as she went to check out the damage.
"Must have missed the mark, I meant to land over there," she said as Jennifer climbed out of the TARDIS. "Ah, well, still getting used to the new body, of course steering the TARDIS would be hard…"
"Okay, Doctor, where to?"
"This way, I suppose, Jennifer," the Doctor said, pointing to the city.
"What's the city called?" Jennifer asked.
"New New York."
"Don't be ridiculous."
"It is! It's the city of New New York!"
"Really?"
"Well, actually, it's the fifteenth New York since the original so it's actually New New New… New New New New New… New New New New New… New New York."
"Where are we going? Like, what's the place called? Not the city, just the place," Jennifer asked.
"We're going downtown, and we're going to do one thing that I don't normally do – shop."
"You don't shop? And what are we shopping for?"
"Well, number one, we're out of food, and that's the one thing the TARDIS can't do. She can prepare it, but she can't synthesize it."
"Do you have any money?" Jennifer asked.
"Yes, actually. I still have some left over from last time I was here. I've got enough to buy food for two weeks. That's about, ooh, twenty-five thousand credits, or five hundred pounds."
"You could actually buy a month's groceries with five hundred, at least back on Earth in 2014," Jennifer said.
"Well, prices are a small bit steeper here, but the food is of a higher quality. There's organic food if that's what you like, or there's regular, non-organic food, what do you normally eat?"
"I… am not sure how to answer that question…"
"Come on, let's go in here," the Doctor said, pointing to a bakery slash pizzeria, then opened the door to go in.
"Welcome! I've never seen you lot around these parts! Who might you be, then?" said the shopkeeper, who was brandishing a rolling pin as she flattened some dough.
"Thank you, I'm the Doctor, this is Jennifer," the Doctor said. "We're travelers, just stopped by to gather some provisions. Ran out of food yesterday and Jennifer just joined me on my travels."
"Well, Let me help you out a little. I've got the best bakery in these parts, ask anyone. You'll want to go across the street to Johnny's store, he sells produce, Faye's store, next door to us; she sells cheese. She's where I get the cheese for my pizzas! And you'll want to go to Cleem's store next to Johnny's; she runs a butcher's shop. Best in the business according to the news-o-grams."
"What are news-o-grams?" Jennifer asked.
"In this time period, newspapers are obsolete and breaking news comes on in every building on a hologram that's been installed in every building. Has to, the builders have no choice. It's part of the building codes; it won't pass inspection if there isn't a hologram projector installed in the main room."
"So, what are you looking for in the way of bread?"
"I need four loaves of regular white bread, pre sliced, and I don't think Jennifer would mind if I get a large pepperoni pizza for the two of us?" the Doctor asked.
"Not at all," Jennifer said with a smile.
"All right, that'll be three hundred thirty six credits," said the shopkeeper with a smile. The Doctor rummaged in her coat and extracted a small bag. She opened it and examined the money inside.
"No, those are from 17th century England…" the Doctor said, putting the bag back in her pocket and pulling out a rigid card with 'Bank of New Earth' inscribed on it and handing it to the shopkeeper.
"Is that the right card?" the Doctor asked as the shopkeeper looked at it.
"Yeah, that's right," she said, scanning the card.
"Good."
"Here you are, you've got twenty-four thousand six hundred and sixty four credits left on here," said the shopkeeper with a smile as she handed the card back to the Doctor.
"Thanks. Mind if I park my TARDIS just outside?"
"Not at all, I suppose."
The Doctor smiled and got her sonic out of her boot. She stepped outside and sonicked the air. The TARDIS materialized next to the shop front.
"Here's your bread, the pizza will be done in a few minutes," said the shopkeeper as she handed Jennifer four loaves of bread in bags. Jennifer thanked her and carried the loaves into the TARDIS. By the time Jennifer had found the kitchen to put the loaves down, walked out of the TARDIS and back into the store, the shopkeeper had the pizza ready on the counter in a regular pizza box. Jennifer thanked the shopkeeper and took the pizza to the TARDIS, putting the pizza on a baking pan and putting it in the oven to keep warm for when she and the Doctor were ready to eat.
The Doctor had moved on to the produce shop, and was selecting the various produce she normally ate, different fruits and vegetables. Jennifer joined her and began selecting things she enjoyed, too. By the end of their little adventure, they had their groceries, and the Doctor had nearly exhausted the card holding the New Earth currency.
"Now that that's done, let's go explore!" the Doctor said. She pulled out her psychic paper, which had a message scrawled on it.
"Looks like we're going there," she said, pointing to a tall building across town. She put a hand up, shouted "TAXI!" and a yellow car that looked like a flying box zoomed in front of them and stopped. The side door opened and a man beckoned.
"Taxi for the lovely ladies?" he said.
"Thanks," the Doctor said as she and Jennifer boarded the car, the doors slid closed, and the taxi took off.