36
"This will be the next greatest power source, I guarantee that." A middle aged average height man said determinedly while walking around a tall cylindrical glass cabinet in the middle of the room. He put his hand on it and sighed, "This world would be doomed without it."
Two children peered around the door and looked at him, they were his children. His name was Sam Miller, he was the man behind the star on Earth. Or at least the creation of the star on Earth, the two children looked at each other and then carefully ran off.
It was Christmas Eve and their father would rather spend the evening with a rock in a cylinder than with them. They were not bitter, ever since their mother had died a few years ago, they had long since got used to their father throwing himself into his work than pay attention to them.
"What do we do?"
"I guess..." The elder of the two said thoughtfully. She was trying to think of something that would preoccupy her and her younger brothers time. It had gone past midnight, and was technically Christmas day, yet the two were still awake, "Can we stay up for Santa Maggie?"
Maggie looked down at her brother, being at the age of seven he still believed in such nonsense. Yet she didn't because in her eyes she was an adult. Although only being a four years older than him. "Lets build a snow man." She suggested instead, "Wrap up warm though Zachary."
Soon the two children were outside playing in their garden, the two lived in a little village. The nearest neighbours were a twenty minute walk from them. The two children giggled and played in the snow, hearing grumbling Maggie pulled her brother behind her.
A rather annoyed looking black haired woman came walking past their house. She looked up at them and waved, "Have you seen a lanky man in a bow tie running around?" She asked while leaning against the wall, Maggie shook her head. "Huh, wonder where he went."
"Are you alright?" Zachary asked while peering around his sister who gave him a look to shut up.
"Well yeah I think so," the woman paused. "I'm Phil."
"Where did you come from?"
"Zachary shush!"
"Heh oh aren't you a curious boy? I came from Cornwall."
"Just now?"
"Yup."
"How can you do that? There's no transport." Zachary said confused while walking up to where Phil was leaning against the wall. She looked around and leaned closer to him, "Can you keep a secret?"
"Uh-huh!"
"I live in a time machine."
Maggie looked at her like she was insane, "That's nonsense! Time machines don't exist just like San-"
"Actually I have you know that Santa does exist, but I better know him as Geoff. But that's a completely different subject you humans know him as Santa."
"There's the lanky man in the bow tie." Zachary pointed to the road.
"Lanky man in a bow tie? Phil! What? Seriously? Couldn't you think up a better description?"
"Well be fair we don't part ways to often!"
"Well one second you were there the next you weren't."
"That's a lie you went running off and left me behind."
"Yeah I did run off didn't I? I thought you were falling me! You're always so obedient that I thought you were running along as well."
Phil crossed her arms and flicked snow from the wall in his direction, Zachary laughed and then stopped when he gave him a look. "Who's your friend?"
"I don't know." Phil mused, "I think I heard her call him Zachary."
"That's my name!"
"Pleasure to meet you, and you," he pointed at the girl. "Time machines do exist." Pausing he rubbed his hands together. "I'm the Doctor, and I believe your housing a star are you not?"
"So you wanted to stay up for Santa?" Phil questioned while putting her hands out in front of her near the fire. Zachary had pulled them in the house after it started to snow, although Maggie wasn't pleased. "I remember doing that when I was young."
"Did you ever get a tamagotchi?" Doctor questioned, Phil looked at him confused. Grinning he leaned back against the sofa. Walking over and sitting next to him she shivered slightly, "So this star? How long has it been here for? I'm rather shocked that someone actually managed to create one."
"Dad didn't make it," Zachary said while yawning, Maggie hit him on the arm to shut him up. "What? He didn't!"
"But they don't need to know that!"
"Well we sort of do because whatever that is that your dad has taken a liking to. It isn't from here clearly, that's become so much more evident now." Doctor said slowly, the children didn't really understand but Phil did and frowned. Sitting up and trying to not go to sleep she turned and looked at him.
"Not from here? So you mean," she nodded upwards.
"Yes I believe so."
"Oh dear."
"Indeed oh dear," Doctor looked over at the children. "So! Christmas eve, well technically day happy Christmas Phil, Maggie and Zachary!"
"Happy Christmas Doctor," Phil said while rubbing her arms. Maggie and Zachary said a very quiet happy Christmas back.
"What did you ask for?" Doctor smiled, Phil looked at him. Where this sudden Christmas cheer came from she didn't know. The children looked at each other and both looked slightly saddened, "What? It can't be anything bad!"
"We don't get presents." Maggie explained, "Mum used to deal with that but since she...dad is to interested in his work."
"Children not getting presents for Christmas that's a crime isn't it Phil?"
"Quite a crime indeed Doctor."
"How about this," Doctor stood up and walked over to the chair Zachary was sitting in, and Maggie was sitting on the arm. "You let us help your father with this star and you can see this time machine."
"But they're not real!"
"Maggie you need to believe in things which don't exist, because sometimes they really do. And maybe, just maybe, one day you'll discover something else which isn't meant to exist." Doctor paused, "Finding the impossible to be possible is one of the best things ever to exist."
Finding the room to be empty Doctor took out the screwdriver and scanned the area. "It's rather plain is it not?" Phil questioned, she was on about the room. For a room where a scientist works it was plain. There was one computer and very little equipment. But in the middle of the room was a ceiling high cylindrical glass cabinet. It was this cabinet that the Doctor was currently scanning, all that was within it was this little shimmer which seemed to be hovering. Phil walked slowly over after trying to get access to a computer and failing. "What is it?"
"Definitely not a star." Doctor answered while trying to find some way into the cabinet. He stopped however when the door opened and there stood an angry brown haired man.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? You two...I bet you're from Coopers team aren't you?"
"Erm," Doctor and Phil looked at each other and then at him. "Yes." They both answered in unison.
"Typical just typical! I knew it! I knew he couldn't resist sending spies here."
"Well actually," Doctor stood up straight and walked over to him. Pulling out the little wallet he flashed it at the man and then turned back to stand next to Phil. She didn't even want to know what lie was on the psychic paper. "This thing," Doctor tapped the glass. "Where did you get it?"
"It fell from the sky."
"Right."
"It's a star and will provide power for us-"
"It's dying." Doctor cut him off and crossed his arms, the man looked highly confused at him. "Stars do die too. Even though it's not a star, but to you humans it is." Doctor rambled and suffered a look from Phil which just told him to shut up. "Let it go, you will find another power source I can reassure you that." Doctor paused, "Sam Miller is your name is it not?"
"Y-yes why?"
"Your name is familiar to me, you won't know why but I do. I may tell you later," he said while looking at Phil. "Your children-"
"What do you know of them?"
"Nothing only that they wish to spend the day with you. A day where you're not stuck up in here." Phil said simply while putting her hands in her pockets.
"Just please let me have this one, this one time let it be this easy. Just agree to let it go, please." Doctor said while looking at the cabinet behind him and then at Sam. "If you extort its power source you'd be forced to get another. It'd be an endless cycle which isn't very pleasant." Doctor said, Sam seemed to be contemplating his words.
"Take it away, I don't want it in here anymore anyway."
"Really?" Phil and Doctor said together, he seemed to give up rather easily. Looking at each other and then at the cabinet they shrugged and proceeded to trying to get the hovering object out of the cabinet and then into a small jar.
Standing out in night Doctor held the jar at arms length before removing the lid. The little hovering light shot up and exploded in a bright light. They had to shield their eyes, but the sky was soon littered with shooting stars. Phil smiled widely, she'd never seen so many shooting stars before.