Epilogue - A Twist of Fate
Epilogue - A Twist of Fate
The slick tiled floor came up to meet her in a rush as Louise Ruth crashed down in a heap. Standing she looked round the room noticing two cubicles against the wall, one sink and three urinals opposite. In one corner knelt Lenore, the Afghan coat wrapped tightly round her for warmth and the Raven chanted under her breath to comfort her and keep the wolf at bay.
A crash to one side saw Barrett and Evans demolish one of the cubicles as they ploughed sideways into it. Two hands grabbed her from behind and turning she saw Johnson steadying herself on the slippery floor.
The sound of loud singing could be heard from the room outside of the toilet as Louise Ruth ventured slowly towards the door. Looking out she saw the Doctor standing in one corner followed by Benton, Barrett and what looked like the rest of the UNIT soldiers. Other patrons stood and sang a song that was so familiar to her she could have sung it in her sleep.
‘Our crew is Starfleet's finest and our record is our pride, and when we play we tend to leave a trail a mile wide. We're sorry 'bout the wreckage and the riots and the fuss. At least we're sure that planet won't be quick forgetting us.’ By the time the chorus began the entire Angel public house, including the barman sang along. ‘And we're banned from Argo every one, banned from Argo just for having a little fun. We spent a jolly shore leave there for just three days or four, but Argo doesn't want us anymore.’
Looking across at the ladies toilet she could see, as she had expected to, herself entering. Fighting the urge to shout out and warn herself, she stepped back into the gents. Looking round at her companions she shrugged. The things that would have changed, she mused, if she hadn’t walked into that cubicle.
With the decision made the bracelets activated and all disappeared just before the Brigadier walked in and headed for the urinals. Jack followed joining him at the next urinal with a smile on his face wider than it should be in a men’s urinal. Zipping himself back up, the Brigadier walked towards the end urinal so he could urinate in peace.
***
They stood at Newcastle Airport, the cold wind biting as it cut through their thin clothing. Passengers were alighting from a Boeing 737 and heading into the arrivals lounge. A group of passengers waited nervously as they began to form a line next to the departures gate.
Louise Ruth felt a hand grab hold of hers in the dark and a muted cry came from the girl standing next to her. One of the passengers was unmistakable as she stepped forward, her passport in her hand. Her blonde hair hung loose about her shoulders and a smile played across her face. A man stood next to her, a small shoulder bag clasped in one hand with the words ‘Just Married’ stencilled on it in white paint. His other hand held onto his new wife not wanting to let her go, as they walked towards the exit gate. Louise Ruth looked at the plane they were about to board then back at the couple and a single tear ran down her cheek.
Finally coming to a decision Louise Ruth lent forward and whispered something into Johnson’s ear. As she did so she noticed that she too had been crying. The moment had not been lost on her.
‘One of us should get what we want,’ Louise Ruth said in a whispered voice. Nodding, and without consulting the others, Agent Johnson removed the SIG Sauer P228 pistol from her belt holster and aimed it at the port side of the plane, just under the wing. Slowly and deliberately she fired two rounds into the engine and they exploded in a shower of sparks. The sound of shots had been muffled and hidden by the noise of the engines but the damaged 737 wasn’t.
As they stood watching in the shadows, ground crew ran to the plan swarming over it like worker ants. A small fire erupted in the engine as the pilot shut it down. Behind them they could hear the announcement that the flight had been cancelled due to technical difficulties. Turning towards Lenore, she was about to say something when she realised she was alone. On the ground at her feet lay a single silver bracelet. It was as if the wolf girl had never been or had ever existed.
‘But the raven, still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling… nevermore,’ Louise Ruth said, looking at her companions. With a start she noticed that they too were disappearing one by one until she stood alone in the giant hanger adjacent to Newcastle airport.
***
Taking a single step forward she felt her wet clothing cling to her body as her legs buckled under her and she collapsed onto the sand. Getting to her feet she saw the dead body of the Rani lying on her left hand side. The beach was scattered with the dead and dying as Robo-men appeared and died, their bodies catching up with the time they’d died in. Those that had been killed by the wolf lived and, without anyone to guide or control them, freewill was theirs again. Without a word to anyone they turned and ran.
Shaking her head Louise Ruth smiled and turning saw Agent Johnson, Sergeant Barrett and Corporal Evans standing in a semicircle behind her, all looking more than a little worse for wear. Even private Robson’s body appeared, lying in the same position he had died in. As the Robo-men that had killed him still existed, it seemed, he would stay dead.
Turning back she saw a number of figures abseiling down the cliff wall to the beach below. A rather tied looking Brigadier Winifred Bambera walked round Liddell Stack towards them, a concerned look on her face. Seeing the body of the Rani lying on the beach at Louise Ruth’s feet she shook her head in amazement.
Sitting in the cafeteria drinking weak coffee and flicking through her father’s Survival book, Louise Ruth rubbed a hand across her forehead, flicking back the hair from her eyes. The time loop, it seemed, hadn’t been as instantaneous as she’d first thought. A week had taken place from the time Agent Johnson had pulled her from the sea, to them returning to the beach. The Rani’s body had lain there all that time as the world had other, more pressing problems than the removal of her body.
To her annoyance she’d heard that the Doctor had returned while she’d been away in the time loop and, yet again, had saved the world, this time from someone called The Master, another Time Lord that had turned bad; then without a word had disappeared again.
Brigadier, Lethbridge-Stewart and Sergeant Benton were still in Geneva trying to clean the mess up and Jack had disappeared, leaving Ianto to sort out the rest of the team in Torchwood Four. Taking another tentative sip from her cup she looked round the quiet dinning area and wondered why she was still there.
‘The fallen angel becomes a malignant devil. Yet even that enemy of God and man had friends and associates in his desolation; I am quite alone.’ With a shrug she stood and, pocketing the book, slung the multicoloured bag over her shoulder and without looking back, walked out of the building, the words of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein echoing in her mind.
The End
UNIT and the Return to Spiridon
The slick tiled floor came up to meet her in a rush as Louise Ruth crashed down in a heap. Standing she looked round the room noticing two cubicles against the wall, one sink and three urinals opposite. In one corner knelt Lenore, the Afghan coat wrapped tightly round her for warmth and the Raven chanted under her breath to comfort her and keep the wolf at bay.
A crash to one side saw Barrett and Evans demolish one of the cubicles as they ploughed sideways into it. Two hands grabbed her from behind and turning she saw Johnson steadying herself on the slippery floor.
The sound of loud singing could be heard from the room outside of the toilet as Louise Ruth ventured slowly towards the door. Looking out she saw the Doctor standing in one corner followed by Benton, Barrett and what looked like the rest of the UNIT soldiers. Other patrons stood and sang a song that was so familiar to her she could have sung it in her sleep.
‘Our crew is Starfleet's finest and our record is our pride, and when we play we tend to leave a trail a mile wide. We're sorry 'bout the wreckage and the riots and the fuss. At least we're sure that planet won't be quick forgetting us.’ By the time the chorus began the entire Angel public house, including the barman sang along. ‘And we're banned from Argo every one, banned from Argo just for having a little fun. We spent a jolly shore leave there for just three days or four, but Argo doesn't want us anymore.’
Looking across at the ladies toilet she could see, as she had expected to, herself entering. Fighting the urge to shout out and warn herself, she stepped back into the gents. Looking round at her companions she shrugged. The things that would have changed, she mused, if she hadn’t walked into that cubicle.
With the decision made the bracelets activated and all disappeared just before the Brigadier walked in and headed for the urinals. Jack followed joining him at the next urinal with a smile on his face wider than it should be in a men’s urinal. Zipping himself back up, the Brigadier walked towards the end urinal so he could urinate in peace.
***
They stood at Newcastle Airport, the cold wind biting as it cut through their thin clothing. Passengers were alighting from a Boeing 737 and heading into the arrivals lounge. A group of passengers waited nervously as they began to form a line next to the departures gate.
Louise Ruth felt a hand grab hold of hers in the dark and a muted cry came from the girl standing next to her. One of the passengers was unmistakable as she stepped forward, her passport in her hand. Her blonde hair hung loose about her shoulders and a smile played across her face. A man stood next to her, a small shoulder bag clasped in one hand with the words ‘Just Married’ stencilled on it in white paint. His other hand held onto his new wife not wanting to let her go, as they walked towards the exit gate. Louise Ruth looked at the plane they were about to board then back at the couple and a single tear ran down her cheek.
Finally coming to a decision Louise Ruth lent forward and whispered something into Johnson’s ear. As she did so she noticed that she too had been crying. The moment had not been lost on her.
‘One of us should get what we want,’ Louise Ruth said in a whispered voice. Nodding, and without consulting the others, Agent Johnson removed the SIG Sauer P228 pistol from her belt holster and aimed it at the port side of the plane, just under the wing. Slowly and deliberately she fired two rounds into the engine and they exploded in a shower of sparks. The sound of shots had been muffled and hidden by the noise of the engines but the damaged 737 wasn’t.
As they stood watching in the shadows, ground crew ran to the plan swarming over it like worker ants. A small fire erupted in the engine as the pilot shut it down. Behind them they could hear the announcement that the flight had been cancelled due to technical difficulties. Turning towards Lenore, she was about to say something when she realised she was alone. On the ground at her feet lay a single silver bracelet. It was as if the wolf girl had never been or had ever existed.
‘But the raven, still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling… nevermore,’ Louise Ruth said, looking at her companions. With a start she noticed that they too were disappearing one by one until she stood alone in the giant hanger adjacent to Newcastle airport.
***
Taking a single step forward she felt her wet clothing cling to her body as her legs buckled under her and she collapsed onto the sand. Getting to her feet she saw the dead body of the Rani lying on her left hand side. The beach was scattered with the dead and dying as Robo-men appeared and died, their bodies catching up with the time they’d died in. Those that had been killed by the wolf lived and, without anyone to guide or control them, freewill was theirs again. Without a word to anyone they turned and ran.
Shaking her head Louise Ruth smiled and turning saw Agent Johnson, Sergeant Barrett and Corporal Evans standing in a semicircle behind her, all looking more than a little worse for wear. Even private Robson’s body appeared, lying in the same position he had died in. As the Robo-men that had killed him still existed, it seemed, he would stay dead.
Turning back she saw a number of figures abseiling down the cliff wall to the beach below. A rather tied looking Brigadier Winifred Bambera walked round Liddell Stack towards them, a concerned look on her face. Seeing the body of the Rani lying on the beach at Louise Ruth’s feet she shook her head in amazement.
Sitting in the cafeteria drinking weak coffee and flicking through her father’s Survival book, Louise Ruth rubbed a hand across her forehead, flicking back the hair from her eyes. The time loop, it seemed, hadn’t been as instantaneous as she’d first thought. A week had taken place from the time Agent Johnson had pulled her from the sea, to them returning to the beach. The Rani’s body had lain there all that time as the world had other, more pressing problems than the removal of her body.
To her annoyance she’d heard that the Doctor had returned while she’d been away in the time loop and, yet again, had saved the world, this time from someone called The Master, another Time Lord that had turned bad; then without a word had disappeared again.
Brigadier, Lethbridge-Stewart and Sergeant Benton were still in Geneva trying to clean the mess up and Jack had disappeared, leaving Ianto to sort out the rest of the team in Torchwood Four. Taking another tentative sip from her cup she looked round the quiet dinning area and wondered why she was still there.
‘The fallen angel becomes a malignant devil. Yet even that enemy of God and man had friends and associates in his desolation; I am quite alone.’ With a shrug she stood and, pocketing the book, slung the multicoloured bag over her shoulder and without looking back, walked out of the building, the words of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein echoing in her mind.
The End
UNIT and the Return to Spiridon