Back to the Doctor

Return to the Future Part 2

"So…" Marty sat on the wooden bench in the town square next to the Doctor, awkwardly looking around, as though someone from his present and their past might walk by. The Doctor seemed content to watch the people going by. "Are you going to explain who UNIT and this Martha Jones are?"

"No need, she can do all the explaining herself."

Marty looked at the bright blue TARDIS next to them. "They have something to do with that mail business though, don't they?"

"She's a friend," the word sounded slightly strained when he said it. "She used to travel with me, sort of like this."

Marty briefly thought about River and smiled to himself. "Is this Martha more like your usual carry-on luggage?"

"Hello Doctor," a young black man, most likely in his late twenties, was suddenly standing next to the bench, staring at the Doctor with a look of annoyance. "I thought maybe I'd gotten rid of you for good this time."

He was British, though his accent wasn't the prim and proper one he was used to hearing in movies, but something much grittier, like he was from the streets. From the look of his buzz-cut, stiff posture and straight black suit and shirt Marty thought he might be military or special forces. The only splash of colour anywhere on him was the bright blue tie he wore. He looked so stern that Marty almost thought he was some sort of threat to them.

Then a woman stepped from behind the Doctor and gave him a sheepish smile. She wore a black suit as well, but her face was so kind and glad to see the Doctor he knew who she was instinctively.

"Martha Jones," the Doctor grinned widely as he stood up and grabbed her in an embrace.

"Hi…" Marty awkwardly got to his feet and held his hand out to the man as the Doctor and Martha hugged for a few seconds longer than was usually considered appropriate. "I'm Marty."

"The name's Mickey Smith," Mickey took his hand. "You travelling with the Doctor?"

"Until he helps me with this problem I've been having."

"Problem?" Mickey briefly glanced at the still hugging couple.

"Yeah, killer time-travelling robots."

"Cybermen?"

Marty remembered the decaying robot they found underneath the Last Marketplace. "I guess there are a few time-travelling killer robots. Uh, we're looking for different ones."

Martha and the Doctor finally pulled apart and Mickey quickly stepped in between them, looking up at the Doctor with a stern face.

"Don't think we'll jump every time you call. The only reason we're here is because we've been watching this company."

"Who are you guys? MI-5?" Marty couldn't help but feel like he was in a James Bond movie all of the sudden. Secret agencies, corrupt business, a trio of out of place British people in suits…

"Ha, hardly," Mickey turned towards Marty and for the first time he realized just how much this Brit was strutting around like he was far more important than he really was, and when he saw the way Martha was giving the Doctor a sideways glance, he began to understand why he might be. "MI-5 is kids stuff. We run the American division of UNIT."

"You work with the UN or something?"

"Or something."

"Let's go somewhere a little less conspicuous, shall we?" Martha finally piped in, and the four of them turned to the TARDIS. "Just for old times sake?"

Even Mickey managed a smile.

"My TARDIS is your TARDIS," the Doctor walked over and opened the door for them.

OOO

"I have to admit, I didn't think I'd see you again," Martha sat on the cushioned bench in the TARDIS as the Doctor leaned against the consol facing her. She realized she was having a hard time looking him in the eyes.

"To be honest, I hadn't planned on it. I was searching for leads about this Morton Robotics Company, when I found your open file. You red-lighted them the second they opened their doors. Why?"

"Their company just appeared overnight," Mickey stepped forward, trying to take control of the situation. "Their CEO never worked for any company before, never filed a tax return, has no record anywhere in our system – and we can't locate him."

"It's got fraud written all over it," Martha finished.

"UNIT isn't called in because of tax evasion – or fraud," the Doctor narrowed his eyes.

"No, we got involved when the FBI found this," Mickey pulled a folded manila envelope out of his inside jacket and handed it to the Doctor.

He quickly opened it and found papers inside which he started reading.

"What is it?" Marty asked, feeling slightly left out of the loop.

"Employees?" The Doctor guessed. It was a list of names, along with addresses and social insurance numbers.

"Former employees of Torchwood," Mickey nodded, "headhunted and hired by Morton Robotics. They're collecting research scientists."

"Scientists who specialize robotics."

"Is that why you're interested in them? Because of these robots you're tracking down?"

"If anything, they're tracking us – all of us, and anyone else who's travelled through time."

"Well you don't have to worry about us Doctor," Mickey put his hand on Martha's shoulder. "I think at this point it would take a hell of a lot more than robots to slow us down."

"They don't slow you down, they freeze you in time," Marty muttered in annoyance. He was getting tired of whatever game these three were playing, he wanted to finish what he came to do.

"These robots are tracking down time travellers. So far we've only encountered them on Earth, but I've seen nothing that's led me to believe they wouldn't be able to travel off-planet if they wanted to."

"What do they want with time travellers?" Martha asked.

"Their time energy."

OOO

The Doctor pulled back the blanket to reveal Jennifer's face, still frozen in that horrible scream. Marty had to look away as Martha gave a small gasp and covered her mouth.

"Is she dead?" Martha immediately climbed down and crouched next to the young girl, checking her vitals. She looked awkwardly towards Marty and then quickly back to the Doctor. "I'm not getting anything."

"Well you wouldn't, her vitals are as frozen as the rest of her."

Martha looked at the wires connected to Jennifer. "You've hooked her up to the time vortex?"

The Doctor smiled. "Clever. Have I ever mentioned that I miss having you around?"

Mickey cleared his throat. "This is all well and good, but even those Torchwood scientists wouldn't be able to master time travel."

"Why not? His doctor did it 30 years ago," the Doctor pointed towards Marty.

"Your Doctor?" Martha looked at Marty.

"Doc Brown, he's a scientist I knew – know."

"Not…" Martha eyed the Doctor "… one of yours?"

"No, no, perfectly human, or so I'm told. The point is, a concept some scientist stumbled onto in 1985 probably isn't that far out of reach for a major corporation."

"Wait a minute," Mickey looked at Marty incredulously. "You and some scientist discovered time travel in the 80s? Why the hell haven't I heard about this? Or anyone else for that matter?"

"It's not like we published," Marty replied sarcastically. "We've been too busy, you know, time travelling since he did it."

"We can't find their factory," Martha shrugged, "if they have one."

"Then we go to the main company," the Doctor smiled, happy with his plan.

"And what exactly are you planning to do?" Mickey crossed his arms. "Print out fake IDs? That could take some time."

"Or we could use his psychic paper," Martha grinned. "Why go out of our way to get something the Doctor just carries in his pocket?"

To Be Continued…

(Some of you might remember my poll – which is now finished – on what characters you'd like to see appear in this story. Mickey Smith: zero votes when I started writing this, though right before I closed it he got one. Mickey, god knows why, is one of my favourite characters. He just never fails to amuse. While the original intention was just to have Martha in this episode, the second I remembered their rather sudden marriage I knew I could have a lot of fun with this – even if only one person did want him here! I'm not trying to suggest he dislikes the Doctor in this chapter. I think Mickey's gotten over that a long time ago, but when two women you've loved have been in love with the Doctor – one before and one after Mickey was in the picture – I feel its slightly understandable that the Doctor make him slightly… insecure.)