ᴠɪɪɪ. ʀᴇᴜɴɪᴏɴ
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
A man comes down the stairs of Deffry Vale High School and walks to the Headmaster's office. A girl is sitting on a chair nearby.
"What do you want?", The Headmaster, Finch, asks.
"The nurse sent me, sir. I was in English and I got a headache.", The girl called Nina tells him.
"Then don't bother me, go home.", Finch replies dismissively.
"I can't."
"Why, is your mother at work?"
"I live in Ambrose Hall. The children's home.", Nina tells him.
"No parents. No one to miss you. I see why the nurse sent you. You poor child. Poor thin, child. Come inside.", Finch opens the door and the girl walks through.
"It's nearly time for lunch.", He says to himself.
The door closes behind them. There is a screech and flapping of wings, and a scream.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Up on the first floor, there is a change of class. The teacher enters, wearing a brown suit and white sneakers.
"Good morning, class. Are we sitting comfortably?", The Doctor writes on the board.
"So, physics. Physics, eh? Physics. Physics. Physics! Physics. Physics, physics, physics, physics, physics, physics, physics. I hope one of you is getting all this down. Okay let's see what you know. Two identical strips of nylon are charged with static electricity and hung from a string so they can swing freely. What would happen if they were brought near each other?", He asks the class.
A young boy with spectacles puts his hand up.
"Yes, er, what's your name?"
"Milo."
"Milo! Off you go."
"They'd repel each other because they have the same charge.", Milo answers.
"Correctamundo! A word I have never used before and hopefully never will again. Question two. I coil up a thin piece of microwire and place it in a glass of water. Then I turn on the electricity and measure to see if the water's temperature is affected. My question is this. How do I measure the electrical power going into the coil?", Just one hand goes up. Everyone else looks totally bored.
"Someone else. No? Okay, Milo, go for it."
"Measure the current and PDs in an ammeter and a voltmeter.", Milo hits the nail on the head once again.
"Two to Milo. Right then, Milo, tell me this. True or false. The greater the dampening of the system, the quicker it loses energy to its surroundings.", The Doctor quizzes the young brainiac.
"False."
"What is non-coding DNA?"
"DNA that doesn't code for a protein.", Milo instantly answers.
"Sixty five thousand nine hundred and eighty three times five?"
"Three hundred and twenty nine thousand nine hundred and fifteen."
"How do you travel faster than light?"
"By opening a quantum tunnel with an FTL factor of thirty six point seven recurring.", Milo replies without missing a beat.
The Doctor's jaw drops.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Chips are still on the menu here. A young blonde slops mash into the Doctor's tray. He walks away with a grin. He takes a seat at a table with Juliet.
A little later Rose goes over to wipe their table.
"Two days."
"Sorry, could you just? There's a bit of gravy. No, no, just, just there.", The Doctor teases the blonde, earning a slap to the back of his head by the brunette to his right.
"Two days, we've been here.", Rose says to The Doctor.
"Blame your boyfriend. He's the one who put us onto this. And he was right. Boy in class this morning, got a knowledge way beyond planet Earth."
"Same here. I had a few students with off the charts knowledge.", Juliet says, thinking back to the strange class she had that morning.
"He's not my- you know what, never mind. You eating those chips?", Rose asks.
"Yeah, they're a bit different.", He says.
"Jules?"
"Hmm. No? All yours.", Juliet gives Rose the rest of her own chips. Sexy's warning about the chips had quenched her desire for the salty food completely.
"I think they're gorgeous. Wish I had school dinners like this.", Rose says as she picks up a chip and puts it in her mouth.
"It's very well behaved, this place.", Juliet notices.
"Mmm.", Rose merely hums in agreement.
"I thought there'd be happy slapping hoodies. Happy slapping hoodies with ASBOs. Happy slapping hoodies with ASBOs and ringtones. Huh? Huh? Oh, yeah. Don't tell me I don't fit in.", The Doctor rambles on.
The head dinner lady comes over.
"You are not permitted to leave your station during a sitting.", The woman called Jackson scolds Rose.
"I was just talking to these teachers."
"Hello."
"Hi.", Juliet acknowledges the woman's presence.
"They don't like the chips.", Rose informs the head dinner lady.
"The menu has been specifically designed by the headmaster to improve concentration and performance. Now, get back to work.", She spits at Rose.
Juliet bites the inside of her cheek to stop herself from snarkily replying to the woman.
"See? This is me. Dinner lady.", Rose says as she walks off.
"I'll have the crumble."
"I'm so going to kill you.", She laughs.
A dark teacher walks over to a girl with a pony tail.
"Melissa. You'll be joining my class for the next period. Milo's failed me, so it's time we moved you up to the top class. Kenny, not eating the chips?", The teacher asks.
Tubby Kenny is eating a home prepared lunch from a Tupperware box.
"I'm not allowed.", The boy called Kenny says to the teacher.
"Luke. Extra class. Now.", Luke and Melissa follow Mister Wagner out. Headmaster Finch stands on a balcony overlooking the canteen and watches it all.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Rose is drying up when other dinner ladies wheel a large cooking oil drum through. It has lots of strange symbols on the side. They are wearing breathing masks and heavy duty protective gauntlets.
"Careful. Keep it steady. Don't spill a drop. I said, keep it steady. Careful. That's it. Easy now. Steady.", Jackson says to the tot hers as they handle the oil drum.
Rose's phone rings.
"Right. Second barrel. Quickly now!"
"What you got?", Rose asks, quickly receiving an answer from Mickey.
"Confirmation."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Mickey is using the internet somewhere with books in the background.
"I just got into army records. Three months ago, massive UFO activity.", He tells her.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"They logged over forty sightings. Lights in the sky, all of that."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
I can't get any photos, because then it gets all classified and secret. Keeps locking me out.", The computer shows a message: Torchwood Access Denied.
"Tell you what, though.", Rose starts.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Three months ago, turns out all the kitchen staff were replaced. And this lot are weird."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"See? There's definitely something going on.", Mickey tells her, feeling proud of himself.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"I was right to call you home."
"I thought maybe you called me home just, well, just to call me home."
"Do you think I'd just invent an emergency?", Mickey asks, sounding offended.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"You could've done.", Rose says.
"That's the last thing I'd do.", Mickey scoffs.
"Watch it!", Jackson's voice orders.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Because every time I see you"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"An emergency just gets in the way.", Mickey tells Rose, sounding upset.
The next barrel of oil topples over. One of the women gets splashed and starts screaming.
"I've got to go."
"Get her up, get her up!", Jackson orders as Mickey is still speaking over the phone.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Rose, what is it?"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The injured woman is hustled into the office and the blinds are pulled down. Rose redials.
"What're you doing?", Jackson asks her sharply.
"Calling an ambulance."
"No need. She's quite all right."
There is a whumph! like a sudden fire, and a scream.
"It's fine. She does that.", Jackson assures Rose.
The woman goes back into the smoke filled office. Rose sees that the spilt oil has eaten through metal.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"I'd like you all to put your headphones on now, please. Now, children, the things you will see.", Mister Wagner says to the students.
Symbols and equations scroll down on the slaved computers and the children start typing faster and faster.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Finch is talking to a not quite so young woman investigative reporter, who hasn't changed her hairstyle in thirty years.
"Our work here. My improvements aren't confined to the classroom. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. We've introduced a new policy. School dinners are absolutely free, but compulsory. Do try the chips.", Finch encourages as he escorts a woman down the hallway.
"Oh, I'd love to. Thank you. And it's got to be said, the transformation you've brought about is amazing. I mean, maybe you're working the children a little bit too hard now and then, but I think good results, they're more important than anything.", She says to him.
"Exactly. You're a woman of vision, Miss Smith."
"Oh, I can see everything, Mister Finch. Quite clearly."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Yesterday, I had a twelve year old girl give me the exact height of the Walls of Troy in cubits.", One teacher says.
"And, it's ever since the new headmaster arrived?", Juliet asks, as she and The Doctor stand together.
"Finch arrived three months ago. Next day, half the staff got flu. Finch replaced them with that lot, except for the teacher's you replaced, and that was just plain weird, then both winning the lottery like that.", Parsons, the teacher, replies.
"How's that weird?", The Doctor asks.
"They neither one played. Said the ticket's were posted through their door's at midnight."
"Hmm. The world is very strange.", The Doctor guns just as the Headmaster enters with a woman.
"Excuse me, colleagues. A moment of your time. May I introduce Miss Sarah Jane Smith. Miss Smith is a journalist who's writing a profile about me for the Sunday Times. I thought it might be useful for her to get a view from the trenches, so to speak. Don't spare my blushes.", With that, Finch leaves.
"Hello.", Sarah Jane smiles politely at The Doctor and Juliet.
"Oh, I should think so.", The Doctor grins almost creepily. Juliet give him a weird look, not understanding what his problem was.
"And, you are?", Sarah Jane asks him.
"Hm? Er, Smith. John Smith."
"John Smith. I used to have a friend who sometimes went by that name.", Sarah Jane says smiling fondly.
"Well, it's a very common name."
"He was a very uncommon man. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you. Yes, very nice. More than nice. Brilliant.", The Doctor is still creepily staring at her.
"I'm Juliet French. It's nice to meet you.", Juliet offers the woman her hand, in order to make her feel more comfortable.
"You too. Er, so, er, have you two worked here long?"
"No. Er, it's only my second day. Miss French's too.", He adds.
"Oh, you're new, then. So, what do you think of the school? I mean, this new curriculum? So many children getting ill. Doesn't that strike you as odd?", Sarah Jane questions them.
"You don't sound like someone just doing a profile."
"Well, no harm in a little investigation while I'm here.", Sarah Jane shrugs at him.
"No. Good for you.", Sarah moves away from the scary grinning Doctor.
"Good for you. Oh, good for you, Sarah Jane Smith.", He mutters to himself, only to be slapped on the arm by Juliet.
"What the hell was that? You were staring at her like a psychopath! You look insane."
"Really?", The Doctor asks, sounding sad.
"Yes!"
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The end of day bell rings. Kenny walks into the now dark room to investigate a strange sort of eating sound. A nasty large set of teeth snap at him from behind a row of computer screens, then the teacher stands up.
"This isn't your classroom, Kenny. Now run along.", Wagner tells the boy.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
After dark, Sarah Jane Smith breaks into the school.
"Oh, it's weird seeing school at night. It just feels wrong. When I was a kid, I used to think all the teachers slept in school.", Rose comments.
"All right, team. Oh, I hate people who say team. Er, gang. Er, comrades. Anyway, Rose, go to the kitchen. Get a sample of that oil. Mickey, the new staff are all Maths teachers. Go and check out the Maths department. Juliet and I are going to look in Finch's office. Be back here in ten minutes.", The Doctor and Juliet leave.
"You going to be all right?", Rose asks Mickey.
"Me? Please. Infiltration and investigation? I'm an expert at this.", Mickey leaves, then comes back.
"Where's the Maths department?"
"Down there, turn left, through the fire doors, on the right.", Rose points.
"Thank you."
Sarah Jane chases something flying in an upper corridor. Rose gets the oil sample as instructed, then looks up as something screeches overhead.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Sarah Jane opens a storeroom door to discover the Tardis parked inside.
"Hello, Sarah Jane.", The Doctor says as she notices the blue box.
"It's you. Oh, Doctor Oh, my God, it's you, isn't it. You've regenerated."
"Yeah. Half a dozen times since we last met."
"You look incredible.", She tells him.
"So do you."
"Huh. I got old. What are you doing here? And who's this?", She asks referring to Juliet who is watching on with a confused look.
"Well, UFO sighting, school gets record results. I couldn't resist. This is Juliet French. What about you?"
"Juliet? The Juliet. Your Juliet?", Sarah Jane asks, causing The Doctor to rapidly shakes his head but the damage is done.
"What does she mean-", The Doctor cuts her off by changing the subject.
"What about you Sarah Jane, what are you doing here?"
"The same as you. I thought you'd died. I waited for you and you didn't come back, and I thought you must have died."
"I lived. Everyone else died.", The Doctor says bitterly.
"What do you mean?"
"Everyone died, Sarah."
"I can't believe it's you.", Sarah Jane says, still in shock.
Suddenly, Mickey screams.
"Okay, now I can!"
Rose runs up to the trio.
"Did you hear that? Who's she?", She says nodding her head in Sarah Jane's direction.
"Rose, Sarah Jane. Sarah Jane, Rose.", The Doctor says quickly.
"Hi. Nice to meet you. You can tell you're getting older. Your assistants are getting younger."
"I'm not his assistant.", Rose scoffs.
"No? Get you, tiger.", Sarah Jane smirks. Juliet stares at her confused, once again.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Sorry! Sorry, it was only me. You told me to investigate, so I started looking through some of these cupboards and all of these fell on me.", Mickey apologizes as the others all join him.
"Oh, my God, they're rats. Dozens of rats. Vacuum packed rats.", Rose says, seeing what Mickey was screaming about.
"And you decided to scream."
"It took me by surprise!"
"Like a little girl?", The Doctor teases.
"It was dark! I was covered in rats!"
"Nine, maybe ten years old. I'm seeing
pigtails, frilly skirt."
"Hello, can we focus? Does anyone notice anything strange about this? Rats in school?", Rose draws the attention back to the task at hand.
"Well, obviously they use them in Biology lessons. They dissect them. Or maybe you haven't reached that bit yet. How old are you?", Sarah Jane replies rather rudely.
"Oi! Let's not be rude, we're all adults here."
"Hmm. You sure about that?", Sarah Jane huffs looking in Rose's direction.
"Excuse me, no one dissects rats in school anymore. They haven't done that for years. Where are you from, the dark ages?", Rose suddenly pipes up, having enough of Sarah Jane's derogatory comments towards her.
"Anyway, moving on. Everything started when Mister Finch arrived. We should go and check his office.", The Doctor says, trying not to diffuse the tension.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"I don't mean to be rude or anything, but who exactly are you?", Rose asks the woman.
"Sarah Jane Smith. I used to travel with the Doctor."
"Oh. Well, he's never mentioned you.", Rose replies in a slightly rude tone.
"Oh, I must've done. Sarah Jane. Mention her all the time.", The Doctor says, trying to get himself out of the hole he's dug himself.
"Hold on. Sorry. Never."
"What, not even once? He didn't mention me even once?", Sarah Jane asks.
"Ho, ho, mate. The missus and the ex. Welcome to every man's worst nightmare.", Mickey laughs.
"Mickey!", Juliet hisses while slapping him upside the head.
"Shut it.", She adds.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The Doctor uses the sonic screwdriver on the lock.
"Maybe those rats were food.", He mutters.
"Food for what?", Juliet asks.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"Rose, you know you used to think all the teachers slept in the school? Well, they do.", The Doctor says before they all look to see giant bats are hanging from the ceiling.
"No way!", Mickey runs. The others follow more sedately. One wakes when the Doctor shuts the door.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"I am not going back in there. No way.", Mickey says looking at the school.
"Those were teachers."
"When Finch arrived, he brought with him seven new teachers, four dinner ladies and a nurse. Thirteen. Thirteen big bat people. Come on.", The Doctor says.
"Come on? You've got to be kidding!", Mickey scoffs.
"I need the Tardis. I've got to analyse that oil from the kitchen."
"I might be able to help you there. I've got something to show you.", Sarah Jane offers.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
In the boot of Sarah's car is -
"K9! Rose Tyler, Juliet French, Mickey Smith, allow me to introduce K9. well, K9 Mark Three to be precise.", The Doctor grins brightly at the metal dog.
"Why does he look so disco?", Rose asks.
"Be nice.", Juliet mutters in her ear, as she takes hold of the blonde's hand.
"Oi! Listen, in the year five thousand, this was cutting edge. What's happened to him?"
"Oh, one day, he just, nothing.", Sarah Jane explains.
"Well, didn't you try and get him repaired?"
"Well, it's not like getting parts for a Mini Metro, Beside, the technology inside him could rewrite human science. I couldn't show him to anyone."
"Ooh, what's the nasty lady done to you, eh?", K9 is getting rusty round the edges. Something is watching them from midair.
"Look, no offence, but could you two just stop petting for a minute? Never mind the tin dog. We're busy.", Rose sighs.
A giant alien bat creature flies across the face of the full moon.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Rose, Juliet and Mickey are at the counter while the Doctor and Sarah Jane have put the defunct K9 on a table. The musak is Love will tear us apart by Joy Division.
"You see, what's impressive is that it's been nearly an hour since we met her and I still haven't said I told you so."
"I'm not listening to this.", Rose sighs as Juliet lightly squeezes her hand. She manages to smile at her.
"Although, I have prepared a little I was right dance that I can show you later."
"Two quid, love.", Rose pays for a portion of chips.
"All this time you've been giving it, he's different, when the truth is, he's just like any other bloke."
"You don't know what you're talking about. And I don't care Mickey. He's just my friend!", Rose huffs, annoyed as she keeps stuffing chips in her mouth.
"Maybe not. But if I were you I'd go easy on the chips."
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Finch is standing on the roof of the building opposite the coffee shop, watching the Doctor working on K9.
"Come to me. Come to me.", Finch says before a giant bat flies over to him.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
"I thought of you on Christmas Day. This Christmas just gone? Great big spaceship overhead. I thought, oh yeah, bet he's up there.", Sarah Jane admits.
"Right on top of it, yeah."
"Rose and Juliet?", She asks.
"They were there too.", He confirms.
"Did I do something wrong, because you never came back for me. You just dumped me."
"I told you. I was called back home and in those days humans weren't allowed.", The Doctor sighs.
"I waited for you. I missed you."
"Oh, you didn't need me. You were getting on with your life.", He replies.
"You were my life. You know what the most difficult thing was? Coping with what happens next, or with what doesn't happen next. You took me to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, you showed me supernovas, intergalactic battles, and then you just dropped me back on Earth. How could anything compare to that?", Sarah Jane tells him.
"All those things you saw, do you want me to apologise for that?"
"No, but we get a taste of that splendour and then we have to go back."
"Look at you, you're investigating. You found that school. You're doing what we always did.", The Doctor points out.
"You could have come back."
"I couldn't.", He denies.
"Why not?", She asks.
The Doctor keeps working on K9, ignoring her.
"It wasn't Croydon. Where you dropped me off, that wasn't Croydon."
"Where was it?"
"Aberdeen."
"Right. That's next to Croydon, isn't it?"
Suddenly, K9 comes back to life.
"Oh, hey. Now we're in business.", The Doctor cheers.
"Master.", K9 recognizes him.
"He recognises me."
"Affirmative."
"Rose, give us the oil."
"I wouldn't touch it, though. That dinner lady got all scorched.", Rose says as she hands over the oil. She, Mickey and Juliet are standing with the forge two by now.
"I'm no dinner lady. And I don't often say that.", The Doctor smears a sample on to K9's probe.
"Here we go. Come on, boy. Here we go."
"Oil. Ex ex ex extract. Ana ana analysing.", K9 says.
"Listen to him, man. That's a voice."
"Careful. That's my dog.", Sarah Jane warns him.
"Confirmation of analysis. Substance is Krillitane Oil.", K9 reveals.
"They're Krillitanes."
"Is that bad?", Rose asks.
"Very. Think of how bad things could possibly be, and add another suitcase full of bad.", The Doctor tells her.
"And what are Krillitanes?"
"They're a composite race. Just like your culture is a mixture of traditions from all sorts of countries, people you've invaded or have been invaded by. You've got bits of Viking, bits of France, bits of whatever. The Krillitanes are the same. An amalgam of the races they've conquered. But they take physical aspects as well. They cherry pick the best bits from the people they destroy.", Juliet explains suddenly, although she has her memories back, she still gets random bits of information she can't have known.
The Doctor gives her a confused look. He had been about to say all that. Word for word. But he continues nonetheless.
"That's why I didn't recognise them. The last time I saw Krillitanes, they looked just like us except they had really long necks."
"What're they doing here?", Rose asks.
"It's the children. They're doing something to the children.", The Doctor responds coldly.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::