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