In 1992....

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 12336

So the TARDIS lands in a remote locale.... The adventurers are able to gather the last items on Inquirer's list rather easy (the store owners were almost ecstatic to be able to rid their shelves of these brands of electronics that just won't move).

With that done, the group settles down to have a bit of well deserved R and R! Sigin and the others less familiar with the "wonders" of the 20th century now can finally go and explore these wonders in more detail. They, after the elves place upon themselves magical illusions to disquise their less than normal features, go out with Betty and Ragan to see the sights. It's a bit of a challenge for the humans to keep their nonhuman friends from running everywhere to see everything, but they manage to keep their friends from getting in too much trouble.

Now, as for the Time Lord and the female AI, they go off on their own to some of the more romantic points in San Francisco. Romantic dinners. Walks in the park. Long and frank talks about hopes and dreams for the future and intimate sharing of memories of the past.

Granted, there are some odd looks cast their way, but not as many as one would tend to expect. You see, first this is the exotic state of California. On top of that this is the city of San Francisco! Combine the two and the fact that you have a grey-haired gentleman dating with a much younger appearing woman will raise a few eyebrows, but hardly outrage the sensibilities of the viewer....for this is San Francisco. The fact that both are dressed in clothing out of step with the times by a large factor is noted, but put down as being due to the dozen local Renaissance festivals.....for this is San Francisco.

Both of them are doing this for each fascinates the other. Inquirer is a woman who's definitely different the usual (using typical British understatement). The Time Lord had been alone for a long time since.....that one time long ago, but now he was willing and eager to try to get involved again since Inquirer's kind has a long life span that is comparable (if not longer) than his. In other words, the Doctor wouldn't have to watch Inquirer age and die while he was still centuries away from death even BEFORE she'd become a Champion of the Rules and Agents. Also, Inquirer's personality was....very appealing to the Time Lord. The AI had always had an inner calm that appealed very much to the Time Lord. That was one of many things that caught the Doctor's attention. As for Inquirer, what had caught her interest in the Doctor was what she'd glimpsed while transfering magical leasons and such from the Regent of Ethiopia and the Doctor so the Time Lord could help save Trilling Blackfeather. She'd seen an amazing intellect and a spirit that was that of a knight errant.....forever seeking out to right wrongs and help those in need of help.

Being born an AI meant that before her soul had been placed in the gem that now controlled the Avator body that was now her body forevermore meant several things. The most important thing was that before her transformation, she could wear any face and body with just a bit of effort. That means that an AI wouldn't be attracted to another for looks. It would be utterly ridiculous for that to be so. Instead, they looked for other things. Things like personality and other less concrete things.

So Inquirer was attracted to the Doctor and vice versa. Soon, near the end of the week, the Doctor finally kisses Inquirer lightly while taking another romantic walk.

While not as quick to develop as some of the Freds and Astras (and positively creeping along compared to romantic relations that develop between dragons or elves), there is something very real and special developing here.

Inquirer smiles and is about to say something special back to the Time Lord when they both hear a thumping sound and then the screech of tires and then see a care speed by them.

They run to see if somebody needs help, and thus on one of the many hilly that views Alcatraz Prison in the middle of the harbor, they see a man rising painfully from where he'd been thrown from a speeding car!

"Hey, be careful there my friend," the Doctor says as he helps up the man in a trenchcoat that looks vaguely like Robert Redford, "Don't want to aggravate anything there by rushing."

The man nods and allows the others to help him up, and then tries not to stare at the oddly dressed good Samaritans. The man looks familiar somewhere, but the woman......!

No, it can't be Weaver....and especially not dressed as a medieval forester. Bishop thinks to himself.

"Thanks," Bishop finally says, grateful that at least something hadn't gone to blazes with the shocks of recent events. Cosmo alive but out for revenge....and insane. All almost too much to take in.....

"Hey, this is sort of like that that one scene from Sneakers where Redford's character, Martin Bryce, got thrown by a bunch of goons from a speeding car," Inquirer said to help lighten the mood.

Yes, it did appear that this man did get thrown from a car. He even had a small resemblance to Redford (and was dressed like Martin Bishop/Bryce from the copyrighted movie Sneakers from Universal Studios).

Actually, the fact of the matter was that this was EXACTLY a scene from the movie. Life was imitating Hollywood again. However, the players didn't look like their movie counterparts. Nor had this, and several other, movies get made here in this universe. The Betty of this universe would not have recognized the significance of one Senator Phil Hammersly (who didn't look like the character from the movie) from a news article, since Enemy of the State never got made in her world. Nor did Sneakers, for that matter. Ragan and a few others of the group might have made the connection if they'd seen the news article about the death of a prominent local math professor and his assistant, but they were too busy sight seeing and such. They were too busy relaxing to bother with the newspaper. They were on vacation, so it was forgivable!

The Doctor smiles a bit at Inquirer's little joke, about to agree (he'd seen the movie in his universe as well), but then notices that the man looks a bit panicked.

"How'd you know my name?!" he blurted out, still shaken by the abuse he'd gone through.

  1. Getting hit over the head twice and then thrown out of a speeding car does that to a body!

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8/23/2000 9:14:55 AM

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