An Unearthly Child (Rebooted)
London, 26 May 2005
It had been an ordinary day at Coal Hill School. “Good
evening, Miss Wright,” a teen girl said.
“Could you wait, please Susan. I won’t be long,” Miss
Wright requested.
“Sure,” Susan said.
Miss Wright was taking a while, so Susan took out her iPod
and a speaker and started listening to some metal music.
“Susan?” Miss Wright asked when she came back.
Susan unplugged the iPod. “Oh, I’m sorry, Miss Wright. I
didn’t hear you coming in. Aren’t they fabulous?”
“Who?” Miss Wright didn’t recognise the music that had
been playing.
“It’s the Common Men Triumph. They’ve gone from eighteen
to three.”
“Common Men Triumph are a metal music band. They started
their career as John Smith and the Common Men,” the other, male, teacher said.
“You are surprising Mr. Chesterton. I wouldn’t have
expected you to know that,” Susan said.
“I have an enquiring mind,” Mr. Chesterton explained. He
placed a book in front of Susan.
“Is that the book you promised me?” she asked.
“Yes,” Miss Wright answered.
“Thanks,” Susan said. It’ll be interesting. I’ll bring it
back tomorrow.
“That’s not necessary,” Miss Wright said. “Keep it until
you have finished it.”
“I’ll have finished it.”
“I’m going to give Miss Wright a lift. There’s room for
one more.”
“No thank you, Mr. Chesterton. I like walking through the
dark. It’s mysterious,” Susan answered.
“Be careful, Susan. There’ll probably be fog again
tonight. See you in the morning.”
The teachers having left, Susan opened the book and found
something. “But that’s not right!”
A short while later, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright had
arrived at the location given in Susan’s enrolment records. On a nondescript stretch
of street on Totters Lane, where there was a junkyard. The junkyard was at the address
listed in those records. They had talked about how Susan was unusual and was
far ahead in science and history when she had appeared as she rounded a corner
near that junkyard. “Too many questions, and not enough answers,” Barbara said
again.
Susan looked around and went into the junkyard, leaving a
gate wide open.
“Look. Can we go in now? I hate to think of her alone in
that place.”
“If
she is alone. Look, she is fifteen. She might be meeting a boy. Didn't that
occur to you?” Ian said.
“I
almost hope she is. It would be wonderfully normal.”
Ian
turned the engine back on.
“What
are you doing?”
“Driving
in,” Ian answered.
She
was surprised when she heard the sound of a car engine behind her. She turned
around and saw the two teachers she had talked to half an hour earlier drive through
the gate she had just walked through. Mr. Chesterton, Ian, got out of the car. “What
are you doing here?” she asked.
“We’re
concerned for you, Susan,” Miss Wright said as she got out of the car.
‘Susan’
could see that. But they shouldn’t have followed her home. “You shouldn’t be
here.” And their car being in the ‘junkyard’ was certain to cause something.
She still didn’t have much control of the ship’s systems. She then felt the
vibrations increase. Something was about to happen. She had to get to the console.
“Maybe we shouldn’t,” Ian said in response to what Susan
just said. He could feel some kind of vibration as if some large engine was
running somewhere in the junkyard. Then what seemed to be impossible happened.
An older man appeared out of nowhere somewhere behind Susan. “Intruder Alert.”
“No, deactivate intruder alert!” Susan cried. She ran through
the junkyard. He saw Barbara run off after her.
He then heard something behind him. He turned and saw
that the gate was closed. Was there a third person there?
She got to the console. But Barbara (or Miss Wright) was
close behind. She didn’t like what she saw there.
Emergency Departure Sequence Activated.
The rotor lit up. “No! Deactivate Emergency Departure Sequence!”
She commanded as she tried to tell the ship to stay.
But the rotor started moving.
Ian could then hear a strong thrumming sound. Voorrrp!
Voorrrp!
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