The Traveller meets Alicia

*Alicia
hadn't been out of her room for a few days. She wanted to go home. She didn't
care how, she wanted to go home now. But also, all this was making her realize
that maybe going home isn't the best. She wished she could go back and bring
her kids and come back to the society and never think about her abusive
husband, or Hela, or Elise ever again!*
The Traveller: (EERrwWwoooooSHHHhEERrwWwoooooSHHHhEERrwWwoooooSHHHh
A strange groaning
noise comes from downstairs, accompanied by a bright light. )
Alicia Ghast:  ...? *she
peeked her head out of her room, wiping her eyes*
The Traveller:  ( The
light flickers in time with the strange whooshing sounds. After a few seconds,
everything stops.
Suddenly, a door opens- flooding the entire downstairs with brilliant light. It
is followed by tiny footsteps and what sounds like a child giggling. And
Dinging noises. )
Alicia Ghast:  *confused,
the girl went downstairs. She covered her eyes slightly, squinting.*
The Traveller:  (
Pattering along the hard floor before a little booth, a young girl holds a
makeshift rectangular device in the air. )
There's all KINDS of stuff Papa! You were right!
( A woman's voice calls through the booth, her identity masked by the light. )
Traveller, I thought I asked you to close the door when you left!
( She looks up from her dinging contraption. ) Oh! Sorry mum! ( She half skips
over to the booth and closes the double doors, enveloping the hall in darkness
again. )
( She whispers to herself excitedly. ) So much stuff! So many anomalies! So
many Rhondium particles! How hasn't this place collapsed in on itself already?!
Alicia Ghast:  *Even more
confused, Alicia walked to the girl* ... hello?
The Traveller:  ( She
turns abruptly to face Alicia, the skirts swirling around her ankles)
Oh! Hullo!...( She eyes her now rapidly beeping device. ) ...Your temporal
signature doesn't agree with these coordinates. ( She paces around Alicia,
looking her up and down. Finally, she stops. )
...Are you a time traveller too?!
*REEAAL subtle Traveller. Way to go!*
Alicia Ghast:  ... well,
not intentionally... it was an accident.
The Traveller:  I knew it.
(Her grin widens. ) Let me guess which one you are.
...Henry?
Alicia Ghast:  ...
pardon?
The Traveller:  Pardon? I don't think we saw a Pardon on the sensors. There
was a traveling cat- Sexy's quite upset with her, a Henry, and an Alicia. You
don't LOOK fuzzy so I'm guessing you're not the cat. You ARE one of the other
two though.
Alicia Ghast:  Alicia?
Oh, that's me, miss.
The Traveller:  Alicia!
it's nice to meet you at long last! Papa says you've been looking for a ride
back home!
Alicia Ghast:  I have!
(YOU CAN'T GO HOME YET!)
... I'm not... I guess...?
The Traveller:  Are you
lost? You look lost. How did you get lost?
* Ah don't worry, I'll give you guys some Cybermen or something to keep you
occupied. Plus timey wimey stuff! they can't leave until they...do something*''
Alicia Ghast:  I... Helen
had this machine that was supposed to kill your Hyde, but... it sent me here?
The Traveller:  Mhm Mhm (
Her eyes widen at "machine" ) Machine? You mean to say someone ELSE
attempted time travel? No wonder she's so upset! It's not safe to attempt time
travel unless you're in a well tested professional vehicle. People can be split
in half if it's not done well! I daresay you're lucky Miss!
Alicia Ghast:  She...
wasn't trying to make a time machine... it was an accident.
The Traveller:  whoa-
that's even scarier! I didn't even know you could do that!
Alicia Ghast:  Heh..
yeah.
The Traveller:  That...makes
you DOUBLY lucky Miss!
Alicia Ghast:  Oh! I
guess my Narrator just cares about me… ***
(*grins proudly* didja hear that, Catt?)
[****Meanwhile
the Narrators and Catt have a conversation]'''''
The Traveller:  Narrator?
...hm.
I mean, you'd be a FANTASTIC addition to our quests! those mean old Daleks
wouldn't stand a chance against you! With brain and braun, the adventure would
be endless! Magnificent!
Alicia Ghast:  Daleks...?
Wh...?
The Traveller:  ( She
falters, her smile fading slightly. ) oh. You don't know.
Alicia Ghast:  ...?
The Traveller:  ( The
Traveller slips the detector into a belt and pulls out a buzzing pen. She holds
its blue glowing tip to her chin. ) Across the Galaxy a HUUGE war has broken
out. Thousands- BILLIONS of years, entire races wiped out! These soldiers
travel far and wide to EXTER-MIN-ATE every living thing in their path. ( She
quiets, her expression softening. ) They killed father's race and they nearly
got me mum. They'll stop at nothing until the universe is their playground. (
She flips the device off, enveloping them in total darkness. )
Alicia Ghast:  That... is
awful...
The Traveller:  We run
into them everywhere we go, so we're ALWAYS fighting!
Alicia Ghast:  Oh, no!
The Traveller:  We're
clever though, don't worry ( She gives Alicia a thumbs up)
Alicia Ghast:  Oh, good!
The Traveller:  In fact, I
made me some armor from them. The fools.
... But with your luck, we'd be unstoppable! We could tackle the universe
together! So do you actually live here?
Alicia Ghast:  I... I
don't want to tackle the universe, I want my kids...!
The Traveller:  AWwwww I
wasn't being serious!
( She adds sullenly) Papa would NEVER let us take on another companion anyway...So...
Do you want to go get your kids then?
Alicia Ghast:  (Oh NO,
you are not bringing BABIES to the society! You're not making them deal with
that BRAT Des too!)
... no... I don't... my husband... would miss them...
The Traveller:  Oh..
alright then...( she puffs her cheeks out and looks around the room. )
So... I guess mummy and Papa are going to be wanting me back inside. I'd offer
let you in for some tea but I dunno if you're in the mood for that or...
Alicia Ghast:  Oh, tea
would be nice!
The Traveller:  Well- 
I- ( She looks towards the direction of the kitchen and sighs. )
I SUPPOSE it wouldn't hurt to ask.
( She marches back over to the precarious booth and knocks on its doors. A
slender woman dressed as a Renaissance maiden opens them. ) Done already? We
set to go?
Traveller: not exactly... She's having second thoughts.
( The woman's smile falls. ) Ah.
Traveller: she was wondering if she could come in and have tea.
( A trace of concern etches its way onto her face. ) But... Don't they have a
kitchen here? ( She sighs. ) I'm not so sure your father will be comfortable
with that idea- ( A tall, equally slender man comes to the door, his posh
Scottish accent matches the little girl's exactly- providing a stark contrast
to the woman's thick British dielect. ) Hullo! What wouldn't I be comfortable
with now?
Traveller: ( pointing to Alicia ) she wants to come in for tea.
( He narrows his eyes and pauses for a moment. Suddenly, without warning, he
turns on his heel- trench coat swirling around his ankles. )
...AHHHH I guess she could pop in for a bit, couldn't hurt. 
Alicia Ghast:  Pop in...
where, exactly?
The Traveller:  ( He tilts
his head back, looking down at Alicia with amusement dancing in his eyes. )
Take a look.
Alicia Ghast:  A look...?
*points to the doors* there...?
The Traveller:  Look at
what we're- are there any lights on?
Traveller: No Papa
Well let's fix, that shall we?
( The man steps out and closes the doors behind him. He pulls out a pen very
similar to the Traveller's. The two of them simultaneously push the buttons,
generating a buzzing noise and turning on all the lights in the Society. This
reveals the identity of their home- a tiny blue police call box. )
Alicia Ghast:  ....?
*Alicia is completely confused*
(Ya know, love, in a different timeline, you ran away from weeping angels in
that~)
....?!
The Traveller:  ( The
Traveller looks expectantly at Alicia. Her father's eyes widen. )
Did she really?
Alicia Ghast:  (A
different version of her. She doesn't know, or remember.)
The Traveller:  Well...Frankly
neither do I, to be fair ( He scratches his head. ) Different me...I...suppose.
Alicia Ghast:  (Maybe. It
was The Doctor... so...)
...?
The Traveller:  
Yeah, I am the Doctor.
* I haven't introduced you yet*
Well, why haven't you done that then?
* Because you guys are standing outside looking expectantly at Alicia. *
...That sounds about right.
Alicia Ghast:  (Oh! You
are? Hm. Destinyyyy!)
Oh, shut up, you.
The Traveller:  Or just a
ride home. Whichever you fancy.
The Traveller: Papa, who are you talking to?
Oh just...fourth dimensional astral projections. Nothing to worry about luv.
The Traveller: why can't I hear them?
You're still young. You'll learn to listen in a bit closer as you grow.
Alicia Ghast:  (A ride
home won't be needed)
B-!
(IT WON'T BE NEEDED, MY PRECIOUS CHILD.)
...
The Traveller:  Yeah,
about that machine- I wouldn't recommend taking it back. It wasn't made for
time travel so it generated a Temporal anomaly to compensate for the extra
Quantumdimension energy you generated. Those are generally a one way ticket, (
He grimaces. ) don't go too well the second time around.
Alicia Ghast:  (She's not
using the same machine. That machine didn't follow her here. She's trying to
remake it, since she just so happened to watch Helen "fix" it.)
Wh...?
The Traveller:  Sounds
like she's trying to use the same machine
The Traveller: She said it's not supposed to do time travel.
It's not. Too unstable. That's why we're here.
Alicia Ghast:  (SHE ISN'T
GOING BACK YET)
But...?
(YOU CAN'T. I would have anyone to narrate. Also... if I don't make you suffer,
they'll fire me, remember?)
The Traveller:  That's
fine, we can wait here until you're ready. This place has several giant...holes
I need to patch anyhow.
Alicia Ghast:  Holes?
The Traveller:  The
Traveller: The timey wimey stuff? The Rhondium particles? They basically mean
that these coordinates are scrambled. Someone's been opening up portals to
alternate dimensions and that can cause a tear in the fabric of time and space!
See, you're learning!
Alicia Ghast:  *blinks*
I'm learning...? But I have no idea what you just said.
The Traveller:  The
Traveller: you know Henry and the cat and your Helen? they're not from around
here. They came from other times. Some of us came from other universes. A
portal is like a door, it leads to a different world. This place is like a
beehive. It's FULL of 'em. Usually these sorts of places collapse, but THIS
one...peachy keen! Fantastic!
Alicia Ghast:  ... my
Helen...? She's... not a time traveler...?
The Traveller:  The
Traveller: She travelled through time though. Her and...
( Her father looks down at her. ) Elaina .
Alicia Ghast:  (Noooo...
they... ehhhh... I'm sorry, no, they didn't...)
The Traveller:  Really?
Their temporal signatures both registered as being from the twenty first
century.
Alicia Ghast:  (OHHHH
*nervous laughter* I forgot about that! I'm so sorry!)
...?
The Traveller:  I was
wondering what might have happened there!
The Traveller: but she's never wrong
Not WRONG no, she just...does as she pleases sometimes.
Alicia Ghast:  (I'm
sooorry!)
The Traveller:  NAHHHH
it's okay. You're alright, no need to apologize!
Alicia Ghast:  (Heh...)
Okaaaay...?
The Traveller:  ( He looks
to Alicia. ) So! Care to take a look then?
Alicia Ghast:  Oh, sure!
The Traveller:  ( The pair
scurry over to the booth and lean against it, giving her identical matching
grins. )
Alicia Ghast:  ... *opens
the door*
The Traveller:  ( Inside
the tiny phone booth, rather than a wall phone and a narrow wooden space, is a
giant console room complete with staircase and hallway- not unlike the
Society's foyer. In the middle stands the Renaissance maiden, who jumps at the
sound of the doors opening. Her startled expression gives way to a smug little
grin. )
Hello Miss, notice anything special?
Alicia Ghast:  *her eyes
widened and she giggled at the woman's comment* I like you.
This is so cool!!!
The Traveller:  ( She
muses, watching the faces of her family form surprise and then disappointment.
) Well that's a first!
Alicia Ghast:  How?!
Why?!
The Traveller:  I guess
you could say
it's bigger on the inside.
Alicia Ghast:  *giggles*
it is! That's so weird! And amazing!
(*narrator chuckles*)
The Traveller:  ( The man
leans in further. ) Or smaller on the outside, whichever you prefer.
( The two shakes their heads disappointedly and head inside closing the doors
behind them. )
****Catt Hatter:  Yup. You
still shouldn't be so mean to her, though. *Catt spoke from her leaning
position against the wall.*
(Ah-heh, h-hi! ^-^; )
Alicia Ghast:  (CATT
LISTEN YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND PLEASE DON'T BE MAD LET ME EXPLAIN!)
Catt Hatter:  Stop
yelling. Why do you think I'm here? *Her voice was flat, but didn't contain
malice.* I walked out too soon and didn't give you a chance to make your case.
Alicia Ghast:  (Oh,
sorry. I'm... loud.
I want to be nice to her! I do! I've used it all up, though. She's supposed to
suffer, and I've broken the rules too many times so that she would be happy...
if I do it again, I'll be fired. And Alicia and Elaina will die.
I have to be mean, Catt. I don't want to... but...)
Catt Hatter:  Who the
heck can fire you? Don't you run their world? Who could possibly hold more
power in their univer than you?!
Alicia Ghast:  (... the
narrator bosses...? He assined me this job...?)
Catt Hatter:  A narrator
boss? *Catt eyed the other narrator suspiciously.*
(Since when did the Narrators have a boss? This is news to me!)
Alicia Ghast:  (Yes!)
Catt Hatter:  The voice
that talks to me doesn't seem to have a boss. *She said pointedly.*
(Not as far as you are concerned, no. But I do have a boss at my job.)
That second part was irrelevant.
(Sorry.)
Alicia Ghast:  (I...
thought we all had a boss...? I have one... *confused*)
Catt Hatter:  (Nope! I
won't allow anyone to have more authority over my brain-children than me!)
Wow...
Alicia Ghast:  (Then who...?)
Catt Hatter:  (Heck if I
know. I'd just kinda, always have been in charge of these guys.)
So, what? You're God?
(I never said that!)
Alicia Ghast:  (She's not
God!)
Catt Hatter:  (I most
certainly am not! I'm just a human with an imagination!)
If you're human, then what am I?
(Um...) *The narrator fidgeted and looked at her shoes.*
Alicia Ghast:  (A Catt
Hatter! <3)
Catt Hatter:  Don't
dodge the question you!
(Don't get mad at her! And I'm not telling you yet!)
Why not?
(Because!)
Alicia Ghast:  (It's a
difficult question...)
Catt Hatter:  (And I
don't want you suffering an existential crisis just before brain surgery!)
What? Brain surgery?!
(I didn't say anything! Shush!)
Alicia Ghast:  (Wait,
wha?)
Catt Hatter:  (Shush! )
Alicia Ghast:  (Okay! )
== Obtained From ==
Alicia Snaps
Category:Side Story
Category:Introduction Stories
Category:Tales from the ER