The TARDIS drifted lazily through the Time Vortex. Amy and Lurra Rus had exhausted all the avenues inside the TARDIS that they could come up with and were making their way to the console room. They found the Doctor sitting on a couch and reading a book. \u201cAhem!\u201d grunted Amy. The Doctor was too absorbed in her book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Sheesh! Should have known they\u2019d get it wrong about Alpha Centauri so early!\u201d she muttered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDoctor!\u201d hissed Lurra Rus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c300 zarps, my right-hand heart!\u201d scoffed the Doctor, still engrossed in her book. Amy stomped up to the Doctor and tore the book out of her hands! \u201cOI!\u201d protested the Doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been drifting in the Time Vortex for almost ten days now!\u201d snapped Amy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, the old girl still needs to settle into the Vortex,\u201d replied the Doctor. \u201cAfter having hypnotic music forced into her speakers so soon after her reconstruction, the poor girl needs rest!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDoctor, surely we can at least be on the lookout for distress calls!\u201d protested Lurra Rus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe ARE,\u201d assured the Doctor. \u201cThe TARDIS\u2019 emergency distress signal locators are online. One little beep and we\u2019re on our way to save the day.\u201d Then\u2026a phone rang. \u201cHuh?!\u201d The Doctor looked to the door leading outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026How-?\u201d asked Amy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI made it wireless and able to pick up any call,\u201d replied the Doctor. She headed to the box on the door containing the phone, swung the box so she could access the phone, and picked up. \u201cHello, you\u2019ve reached the Doctor\u2019s TARDIS. Do you have an appointment? \u2026KATE! It\u2019s been too long! \u2026It never IS just a social call with you UNIT types, is it? What do you need? \u2026Doomsville? That\u2019s a thing? \u2026As a matter of fact, I HAVE heard about them. \u2026Uh huh. \u2026Well, if one of their invaders is on Earth, their armada\u2019s not far behind. \u2026All right, I\u2019ll be there shortly. The TARDIS is tracing the call right now. \u2026Right then. Goodbye.\u201d The Doctor hung up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOdd version of a distress call,\u201d remarked Lurra Rus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a potential distress call,\u201d explained the Doctor. \u201cThe daughter of an old friend of mine wants my help in assessing an alien threat in an American city called Doomsville. Evidently, there\u2019s an alien there that\u2019s part of a rather belligerent species. The TARDIS should have\u2026AHA! We have our heading!\u201d The Doctor adjusted the settings so the TARDIS could make its way to the coordinates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Doomsville, one of the dankest cities in America. And with a population of the stupidest and most emotionally stunted people. Nobody batted an eye when the TARDIS landed. The Doctor opened the door\u2026and instantly regretted it! \u201cURGH!\u201d she gagged. Amy and Lurra Rus coughed once they left the TARDIS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUgh! Doesn\u2019t anyone know about public sanitation?!\u201d gagged Amy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAre you sure we aren\u2019t in Hutt Space, Doctor?\u201d asked Lurra Rus. \u201cThis smells like the Hutt homeworld!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a human city, Ma\u2019am,\u201d replied a voice muffled by a mask. A human woman with a blonde bob haircut arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cKate!\u201d greeted the Doctor. \u201cEveryone, meet Dr. Kate Stewart, commander-in-chief of UNIT, the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce! I used to work for her father as the scientific advisor during my exile in the 70\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou still are, Doctor,\u201d remarked Kate. \u201cYou still haven\u2019t officially retired. Perhaps we should talk somewhere that isn\u2019t so smelly. We have a base set up nearby.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank you, Kate, that would be helpful,\u201d said the Doctor. Everyone followed Kate to an abandoned restaurant with UNIT equipment set up. The air was SO much cleaner! Amy and Lurra Rus felt like they could breathe!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat kind of health and safety record does this whole city have?!\u201d asked Amy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNothing considered good,\u201d replied Kate. \u201cDoctor, I know you\u2019re a busy woman, but with what our witness described, I couldn\u2019t risk it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBelieve it or not, I had nothing but free time,\u201d assured the Doctor. \u201cAnd Amy and Lurra Rus were getting bored anyways.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA pleasure to have this kind of distraction,\u201d said Amy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat is this alien threat that has you lot concerned?\u201d asked Lurra Rus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think it best that the one that called us,\u201d explained Kate, \u201cshould brief you. Lieutenant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMa\u2019am!\u201d replied a soldier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBring our friend here,\u201d ordered Kate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, Ma\u2019am!\u201d confirmed the soldier. He marched off to the back room, then returned with a big-headed boy with glasses and a black coat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDoctor, meet the one that called us,\u201d introduced Kate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHello there, young man,\u201d greeted the Doctor. \u201cI\u2019m the Doctor. These are my companions, Amy Rose and Lurra Rus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNice to meet you,\u201d replied the kid. \u201cI\u2019m Dib Membrane.\u201d The Doctor\u2019s eyes widened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDib Membrane?!\u201d she asked. She then grinned. \u201cI can\u2019t say too much, but you have a great future ahead of you!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cReally?\u201d asked Dib. \u201cThat\u2019s\u2026nice of you to say.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNow, what\u2019s this I heard about an Irken threat?\u201d asked the Doctor. \u201cOne of their invaders is here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah! But we\u2019ve been fighting for a while and I haven\u2019t seen one Irken ship!\u201d replied Dib. \u201cI mean, aside from this one and another that briefly visited us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDescribe this Irken you usually fight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, he\u2019s about my height, has green skin, ruby compound eyes, wears a tunic colored like his eyes, and he\u2019s got antennae on his head.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA ruby Irken?\u201d mused the Doctor. \u201cNumerically the most common Irken.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd this Irken\u2019s REALLY into the whole conquering thing!\u201d supplied Dib. \u201c\u2026Although, apparently his tech\u2019s outdated, at least from what I saw.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAn Irken Invader? With outdated technology? \u2026What does that mean for their SIR unit?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA SIR unit, Doctor?\u201d asked Kate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStandard-issue Information Retrieval Units,\u201d explained the Doctor. \u201cRobots that assist an Irken Invader in gathering information on a planet\u2019s weaknesses so the Invader can destroy all defenses in time for the Irken Armada to conduct their Organic Sweep.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat implies\u2026well, extermination,\u201d remarked Amy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs it should. They\u2019re quite Dalek-like in that regard.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut why give an Invader outdated technology?\u201d asked Lurra Rus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA good question,\u201d remarked the Doctor. \u201cI think I\u2019ll need to inspect their base of operations. Dib, do you happen to know where the Irken lives?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYeah, and it\u2019s just \u2018normal\u2019 enough to fool everyone else in Doomsville,\u201d replied Dib.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRight then! Lead the way! Oh, but first! Kate, could my companions and I borrow masks?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course, Doctor,\u201d answered Kate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCome on!\u201d protested Dib. \u201cIt\u2019s not that bad!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEasy for you to say!\u201d remarked Lurra Rus. \u201cYou live here!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think all the fumes swelled your head,\u201d said Amy. \u201cThat must be why it\u2019s so big!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMY HEAD\u2019S NOT BIG!\u201d protested Dib.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once they were masked, the Doctor and her friends followed a grumbling Dib, still sore about his head size. They made their way to a cul-de-sac with apartment buildings. \u201cThere it is!\u201d called Dib as he pointed out the one house. It was a tall, green house with a purple roof and door (which appears to have come from a men’s bathroom). It had a satellite dish on one side of the roof, and the front yard was covered in lawn ornaments, including a flamingo, two puffer fish, a flag that said, \u201cI heart Earth\u201d, and four large robotic Lawn Gnomes flanking the main path to the door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Erm\u2026\u201d The Doctor was struggling to find a word for the whole ensemble. \u201cI know humans tend to just walk past the strange and unusual, but surely that set off alarm bells.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCity Council never ordered it removed,\u201d replied Dib.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo the gnomes do anything?\u201d asked Amy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWell, they CAN shoot lasers from their eyes, but people can slip quietly in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHm, I wonder.\u201d The Doctor pulled out her sonic screwdriver and switched it on. She then approached the house, but the gnomes didn\u2019t fire on her. \u201cExcellent!\u201d She looked back. \u201cIt\u2019s safe!\u201d she called. \u201cThe gnomes think we\u2019re Irken Inspectors, personally checking on our friend\u2019s progress!\u201d Her friends and Dib joined her as they approached the front door. The door opened and two robots that looked like cartoony depictions of parents of a Nuclear Family appeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWelcome home, Son!\u201d they said as they twitched and sparked, indicating their faulty status. The group entered the house and were greeted by darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026Did the Invader forget to pay their electric bill?\u201d joked the Doctor. \u201cIn all seriousness, shouldn\u2019t their SIR unit be here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHALT, INTRUDERS!\u201d came a robotic voice. The group turned to see glowing red eyes. They then heard a whine of weapons being primed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGIR, cut that out!\u201d snapped Dib.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026OKAY!\u201d The eyes turned blue and the weapons powered down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s his SIR unit, GIR,\u201d explained Dib. \u201cHe\u2019s not that big of a threat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026GIR?\u201d asked the Doctor. She looked at GIR\u2019s eyes. \u201cWhat does the \u2018G\u2019 stand for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d replied GIR. He then shrieked happily as he drummed on his head. The Doctor and her friends blinked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026You think the \u2018G\u2019 stands for \u2018garbage\u2019?\u201d Lurra Rus asked Amy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wouldn\u2019t be surprised,\u201d replied Amy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGIR, I\u2019ve got some cola for you if you can switch the lights on,\u201d Dib offered GIR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPoop cola?!\u201d asked GIR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRight here,\u201d replied Dib as he pulled out a bottle of soda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOKAY!\u201d GIR turned the lights on, then accepted the drink and walked off to do other things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere we go!\u201d said the Doctor. \u201cNow let\u2019s-WHOA!\u201d Her exclamation made everyone look at what she caught sight of, and they made similar exclamations! There, on the couch of the base\u2019s living room was an 800-pound mound of green flesh with a barely visible head. The head had ruby compound eyes, antennae, and an open mouth with drool and foodstuff remains dripping out of it!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The TARDIS drifted lazily through the Time Vortex. Amy and Lurra Rus had exhausted all the avenues inside the TARDIS that they could come up with and were making their way to the console room. They found the Doctor sitting on a couch and reading a book. \u201cAhem!\u201d grunted Amy. The Doctor was too absorbed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6809,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[959,1070],"tags":[515,35,963,962,1071],"class_list":["post-7568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-doctor-who-crossings","category-series-4","tag-amy-rose","tag-doctor-who","tag-fan-companion","tag-fan-doctor","tag-invader-zim"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7568","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7568"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7568\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7569,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7568\/revisions\/7569"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}