Chapter Four: Entertainment Complex
Meeting new people was an adventure for Sarah. There was a Scotsman, an Amazon dressed in animal skins, a woman who admitted she was not from Earth. And there was Donna Noble. Sarah met Sarah Jane and admired her independence. She met River and admired her worldliness. She met Donna and . . . and . . . and . . . she had no idea what a temp was.
Sarah's first impression of Donna Noble was that she was talkative and bossy. The woman was going on about how they had no right to force everyone in here while something was going on. Her second impression was that the woman wasn't what she seemed. The bossiness seemed to be the way she presented herself. Her third impression was that the woman was bossy, but she also had a brain. This impression was made once they entered, when Donna immediately welcomed her to what she referred to as a holding cell. She excused herself, saying she was trying to find out what the others thought.
Sarah was both happy and sad that Donna walked away. It confused her that anyone could cause both feelings. Smiling to herself that she finally understood irony, she walked over to where Sarah Jane was. Jack had already wandered away to 'examine everything'.
River was commenting that the boy was coming over. Sarah cast a glance and saw she was referring to Luke. And Luke was walking across the spacious room. He had two of those cans, one in each hand. Sarah Jane was already assuring her that River had explained everything. There would be no sudden surprises. She was smirking as she said she was glad he was handsome.
Luke walked up and offered Sarah a drink, showing her how to open the can. Sarah thanked him, tried the drink and found it sweet and bitter, like lemonade with sugar. It then fell to her to make the introduction. Luke stared. The only word he could say was, "Mum?"
"Not yet. Not for another thirty years if I understand correctly." Sarah Jane gave a bemused smile. "Was I a good mother?"
Luke's smile was genuine. "You were the best. You taught me everything. How to clean my room. How to dress properly. How to save the world from alien invasion."
"I already have some experience with that." They hugged each other. "Then it's settled. Sit down and tell me all about yourself. Then, you can ask me anything you want." Her voice sounded motherly. "Anything you thought you would have all the time in the world to ask."
Sarah sat in a nearby chair. White cloth and very comfortable. Rose had wandered over and joined the group, curious about what she had overheard. Sarah admitted she was there for the same reason.
From the first, Sarah wanted to interrupt. Luke was saying how they lived in the Ealing part of London. She wanted to say she knew Ealing and ask what it was like in his time. She stopped herself though. This was time for Luke and Sarah Jane.
The urge became stronger when Sarah Jane said she knew the house on Bannerman Road. It was an old Tudor style house. For her, the house was owned by her Aunt Lavinia. Sarah was glad that she didn't interrupt. It was also her house, but she didn't know anyone by the name of Lavinia. She crossed her fingers, though. It would be wonderful to find out they were related.
Luke did cause Sarah Jane to cry when he described meeting her parents, through time travel, and how they died. That was when Luke asked about family. He always planned to. Now was his final chance. He wanted to know everything.
Sarah Jane began by telling him that her father was named after his father. Sarah was smiling. She had a brother, aged four, who was named Edward. He was the right age to be Sarah Jane's grandfather. Then the woman explained that she was named Sarah, after her grandfather's older sister, and Jane, his younger sister. She never knew what happened to the older sister, but the younger one met a sailor during the Second World War, married him and moved to Canada.
Sarah held a smile. She didn't care if anyone noticed. If she was correct, her mother would have at least one more child. And it would be a girl. Sarah Jane was now talking about her mother. That she lived long enough to see her grandson marry but died before her great granddaughter was born.
"As for her husband, his name was Arthur. He was the one who bought the house. He was in the army during the first war. I know he tried to enlist in London but they refused him. I don't know why." (Sarah did. She decided she would tell them later.) "So he went back to Grimsby where he grew up and enlisted there. That's how he ended up in the 10th Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment." Her voice was matter of fact. She was talking history. "He was killed, along with most of the battalion, on the first day of the Battle of the Somme."
Sarah screamed.
She shrieked.
She was yelling the word, "NO" over and over.
Luke was holding her. All Sarah could do was hold on to him and cry.
Behind her, she could hear Sarah Jane, uttering the word with understanding, "Sarah?" Then she was hugging her from behind. She didn't know. She was telling the others the date they left from. July 2, 1916. The second day of the battle.
Luke was whispering to her, telling her she was with family. It was hard for him. It was history from the last century. But for her, it was yesterday. And he made a suggestion. They couldn't change history but that didn't mean they couldn't visit. The thought made Sarah smile through her tears. She would like that. A chance to tell her father all those things she always thought she'd have time to say. And a small hope. Maybe a chance to save him.
She wiped her eyes with a handkerchief that someone gave her. Then she looked up. Everyone was watching her. Jack was looking at Luke who still had his arm around her shoulder. She could feel her face going red. She didn't know why. She was explaining that Luke was her nephew. Her great grand nephew. She stepped away from Luke and Jack hugged her, saying he was sorry, he was so sorry.
Ace was looking at her, uncomfortable. She turned to the woman, Donna, who was standing next to her, and said, "I'm in. What do we do?"
"Ask how Sarah is," River stated.
Sarah forced a smile as she and Jack let go of each other. "I had a bad shock. But I also have a friend who has a time machine. I'm fine."
"It's a small hope," River was warning.
"But it's there," Sarah Jane noted. She and Sarah shared an honest smile. "We Smiths live on small hopes." She turned to Donna. "We're also hoping you know a way out of here."
Donna turned to River. "Do you have your sonic screwdriver?"
River's grin said yes. Sarah wanted to know what a sonic screwdriver was. Sarah Jane wanted to know how River managed to get her hands on one. Donna and River excused themselves and walked to the door. A small crowd followed. Luke was asking if they wanted to watch when an explosion was heard.
River was now walking up to them. She turned to Luke asking him if he was as smart as he claimed. She then held up a burnt piece of metal. What was left of a sonic screwdriver.
Sarah smiled. Inwardly, she felt a foolish sense of pride. They turned to a member of her family for help. She tried to pay attention to what happened. All she knew was that there was an American here who was a medical doctor and she was making sure Donna was fine.
Luke answered by saying he had no idea but he knew who to ask. He called K-9. The woman in the animal skins said it did not know him and would not answer. She then called for K-9. Sarah smiled in delight when she saw the canine robot come over from wherever it had been. Teela, as she introduced herself, told K-9 to listen to Luke.
"You're taking this well." Jack's tone said he was worried.
"We're in trouble, Jack. You know it. We're trapped here. I'll cry all you want when I have the chance." She held a hand to Jack's lips to keep him quiet. "Do you know what Sarah Jane did? She showed me that I wasn't foolish to hope. And it wasn't only to help me keep in control of myself. And she'll help, if she can. They all will." She had an honest smile. "It's because of the Doctor. All of him." They both smirked. "He inspires trust. He makes them want to help, anyway they can."
Jack was sharing her smile. "I know where this is leading. That is how you want to be. Well, That's how I want to be."
They walked over to the crowd around the door to hear K-9 explain that the door could not be opened. Sarah found a new word to ask about. Feedback. All she could understand was that the door could only be opened from the outside. The next thing she knew, Donna was walking toward the door insisting they would get someone to open it. She began banging on the door.
"OY, YOU. GET OVER HERE."
Sarah asked what she was doing. It was Ace, standing next to her, who said she was calling that Robot. Donna was banging on the door again. Sarah called out that his name was Grady.
Donna turned and acknowledged her. She turned back and banged on the door. "GRADY. WE NEED TO TALK."
The protocol robot came over and asked what the problem was. It then explained that the door could only be opened to let companions in or once the forum was complete. Donna then demanded to know how the forum was going. Grady admitted that the first Doctor had yet to appear.
"The Old Man?" Sarah Jane was frowning. "That should be impossible." She looked up to see a dozen faces expecting her to continue. "It's what River explained about the side corridors."
River informed the group that she was repeating what Jack had figured out. That made Jack the center of attention as he repeated what he had said in the main corridor. At his conclusion, Sarah Jane commented that she had seen a Tardis at the end of the appropriate side corridor.
"He could be hiding," a woman said. Jack told Sarah that her name was Peri.
"That could be, "Another woman said. She had an American accent. "But where?"
"Here!" Jack said with a smile.
"What?" Doctor Holloway asked. (Sarah thanked Ace for telling her. She then asked, "a real doctor?")
"They need a Doctor," Jack was saying. "We'll give them one."
"Brilliant, Jack. But who can we get to do it?"
Jack looked offended. Then haughty. "It was my idea." He paused to whisper something to Luke then walked up to the door. "GRADY."
The robot waited as Jack walked up to the door. Jack explained there was a problem. Since he came with the third Doctor, he assumed he should be considered a companion. Could he open the door?
Grady repeated his earlier limitations. Jack interrupted, claiming he was the Doctor. The robot objected. "The First Doctor is an old man. You are not an old man."
"I will be if we wait long enough." Jack was smiling. "Everyone knows that only the regenerations do not age."
("Really?" Sarah Jane said in a low voice. River, standing near her, said "Yes.")
Sarah turned back to the scene at the doorway. Grady's eyes were flashing between yellow/orange and green/blue. After what seemed longer than Sarah ever held her breath before, she was relieved when the robot said, "Acknowledged," and opened the door.
Sarah watched as Jack stepped into the doorway and stood there. Grady insisted he had to move so the door could close. The robot had positioned itself to block anyone else from leaving. Sarah turned her head as she heard a cracking noise. Jamie, the Scotsman, and the woman, Teela, had torn one of the moving pictures from the wall. Luke shouted, "NOW". The dog robot emitted a red light beam at Grady. Grady exploded as Jack jumped out of the doorway. The moving picture device crashed into the doorway, jamming it open. And she was the first one to jump out of the room, shouting Jack's name. He stood up. He said he was fine. He said, "Uhmph" as Sarah hugged him.
"I thought . . . Jack, I thought . . ."
"I'm fine."
Sarah released him, smiling when she saw how red his face was. Someone, a boy Luke's age, came up and said it was an excellent plan. Jack gave Adric his thanks for saying so.
"You learned everyone's names?"
Jack seemed surprised. "Yes, it makes sense to know who your friends are."
"Friends?"
The woman doctor came over and demanded, in her American accent, to know if he was hurt. Once he said no, she told Sarah that any friend of the Doctor was a friend. Half the people around her agreed. Then the American doctor asked what the plan was. Jack admitted he didn't have one. Rose said he sounded like a real Doctor. She then suggested that they visit the actual Doctors and find out what was going on.
Not that the Doctors were hard to find. While the area was fairly open, there was only one other door, similar to the one they had recently escaped from. As the group approached, with Luke, Teela and K-9 in the lead, red lights began to flash.
Holes appeared in the ceiling. Metal balls dropped out. One crashed to the floor only inches from Sarah. In an instant, a robot was standing up. She screamed. As the robot raised a sharp clawed hand to strike, someone pulled her backward. Suddenly, Jamie the Scotsman was in front of her, sword drawn and flashing forward to repel the attacking monster. He had barely finished yelling, "RUN, LASS", when Sarah decided to follow his advice. She turned, seeing River running to the corridor they had come from. She thought it was a good idea to follow.
River was fast, but Sarah was desperate. She managed to keep pace with the woman because she knew there was at least one robot chasing her. Down the hallway past one side corridor. Past the second. She saw River turn and run down the third. She followed as quickly as she could. She turned, seeing a Tardis in front of her, the door open. She also heard the metal feet behind her. The robot was getting closer. River came out of the Tardis. She had something in her hand. She yelled at Sarah to get down. Sarah let herself fall forward. A light flashed over her head. The robot behind her exploded. As she raised her head, a second flash passed over her. There was a second explosion.
"I knew I shouldn't have left this behind." River swung the strange weapon in her hand like an American cowboy six-gun. It ended up in a holster. "You ever fire a weapon, dear?"
Sarah was amazed. As River helped her stand she admitted she had fired a rifle on occasion. Only game birds. Father would take her hunting.
River politely ignored the pause as Sarah mentioned her father. She then said to follow and walked back into the Tardis.
Sarah stared as she entered. The other Tardis was large and functional. This was larger and ornate, a cacophony of colour. River disappeared up a stairwell and came back less than a minute later, a holster in her hands. In less time than Sarah thought possible, the holster was strapped on her and River was leading them out the door.
"Did you have any luck with the game birds?" River asked as they walked back.
"By my third summer with father, I knew I could come home with something. Shouldn't we be running?"
"Might run into something. Better to take our time to make sure we have the advantage. I don't know how smart these things are. We should just be thankful they don't shoot back." She added, as they approached the end of the corridor, "Take it out, dear, and be ready. And don't worry. There's no recoil, so aim and fire. These will be bigger and closer. That means they'll be easier to hit."
Sarah drew the strange pistol and held it forward. River pulled her hand up so that she was pointing the weapon toward the end of the corridor. Instinctively she turned sideways so that she had a line of sight. These machines may be larger than game birds, but the birds weren't trying to kill her.
River stepped out into the main corridor, facing the way they had come. She was firing. Suddenly, a robot appeared from behind. Sarah, not even waiting to think, moved her hand and fired. The robot exploded. In that moment, she did think. Robots were coming from both directions. She couldn't wait until they came into sight. In an act of bravery that would later surprise her, she stepped into the corridor with her back to River. A second later, she fired at another robot that was ten feet away and running at her.
There were perhaps a half dozen robots that she could see, but they were fairly spaced. Sarah understood that it was because they had come the longer way. She shouted so that River could hear, "HOW MANY ROUNDS?"
River laughed as she shouted back, "ABOUT 10,000." Sarah decided to do what River was doing. Constantly fire. And it worked. Each shot told her how close she was to her target so that the next shot was closer or hit. Once, she accidently hit one robot while aiming for another. Once those that she could see had been eliminated, she turned around to see how River was doing.
Dozens of robots lay in pieces all along the corridor. Two shots eliminated the last two. Sarah quickly glanced back to see her corridor was still clear, then turned back. River was smiling at her.
"That first shot was your best. I'm glad you didn't try to save it."
"I'm only grateful it was only one I needed," Sarah said. She put the pistol into the holster and turned toward the wall. She put a hand on it for support. After a few deep breaths, and constantly telling herself that the robots were not alive, she felt well enough to look up. "Do we hurry back, now?"
"Until we get close to the next bend. Keep your eyes on that side hallway."
Sarah nodded. The robots could try to swarm out. She had a weapon, but they had the numbers. River casually mentioned that they were not programmed to care.
They did approach slowly, but there was nothing. River said she wasn't surprised. They had a better chance at the end of the last hall. A sharp turn. A short corridor. Another sharp turn. And after that sharp turn, who knew what they would find. River wasn't smiling.
At the last side corridor, River shot a robot before it could jump out at her. She than shot a second one. Sarah was telling her to stop. River did, because she noticed it to. The robots had stopped moving. River said something about 'just in case' and destroyed the remaining robots. Then they continued on their way.
Empty. The short corridor was empty. As they neared the turn, Sarah spotted a robot. She raised her pistol. "This one isn't moving, either." River reminded her they needed to be careful. Sarah fired at close range to destroy it.
They walked carefully to the turn so they could look into the open area. Perhaps a dozen robots were there, still standing. And that was all they were doing. Metal pieces littered the floor.
"That was smart," River was saying. "They ran back into the waiting room and barricaded the door."
"But what stopped the robots?"
Luke's head appeared out of one of the holes in the ceiling. "We did." He dropped down. "Thanks to the two of you drawing most of them off. Must have been a hundred. They only left two dozen to guard us."
Adric appeared from another hole. "Once we eliminated half of them, it gave us the room to maneuver. We found their control center and disabled it."
Adric was smiling at her, looking at the pistol she was holding. "Are all Earth women like you?" he asked, meaning her and River.
Embarrassed, Sarah put it in the holster. "You're not from Earth?" she managed to ask.
Adric laughed. "I'm not human, if that's what you mean."
Sarah gave a small 'oh', and changed the subject by asking about Jack.
"Doctor Holloway is looking at him. He took quite a shock."
The other companions were now asking questions, mostly to Luke, mostly if they could expect any surprises. Sarah had her own question. What kind of shock?
"Electrical," Luke answered. "There was a barrier and he physically disarmed it."
"He grounded himself somehow," Adric added. "He was even laughing about it by the time I lowered him down to the doctor."
Sarah didn't wait to hear how Luke had disabled the central control by the time Adric returned. She was walking, as fast as she could through all the debris, until she reached the doorway. Jack and Doctor Holloway were walking toward her. They were the last two inside the room.
She jumped at Jack and hugged him. Then she let go of him and hit him in the chest. "HOW COULD YOU? YOU COULD HAVE DIED."
"Everyone could have died," Grace Holloway said. "Jack gave us the chance we needed to survive." She added, smiling, "Thanks to you, Annie Oakley."
"I . . ." Sarah paused. Both were grinning at her. Both were looking at the holster strapped to her waist.
"You saved River's life. Didn't you?"
Jack was smirking. It didn't take a genius to know she had used the pistol. She returned his smirk.
"Only after she saved mine . . . a few times." They were interrupted by a short series of explosions. Explosions that Sarah knew came from a laser pistol. "I think River has the door open."