Chapter Text
Joyce looked down at Romana, once again buried in a pile of wires in the chamber below the console. "Is it safe to go out?" She asked.
"It's a small town," Romana said. "As long as you don't attract too much attention, you should be fine."
"When are we leaving?" Joyce asked.
"The dematerialization circuit is still offline," Romana said. "Could be several hours, or days."
"Okay," Joyce said. "K-9 and I are going exploring."
"Fine," Romana said, not really paying any attention, her hands full. "Stay out of trouble."
"Come on, K-9," Joyce said. "Let's go explore."
"Yes, Miss," K-9 said.
Opening the door she stepped outside into a sunny day, followed by K-9.
"Where are we?" She asked, looking across the small field they'd landed in, towards the tree lined street.
"Available information indicates Mammoth Fall, on the continent of North America," K-9 said.
"And the year?" Joyce said, hopefully. "Too early for Starbucks?"
"Yes, Miss," K-9 said. "It is Earth Year 1962."
"Want to explore?" Joyce said, nodding. "Small towns can be interesting, if you don't have to live in them."
"Affirmative, Miss," K-9 said.
"Where's Main Street, do you think?" Joyce said, once they reached the sidewalk.
"Based on the sounds of traffic, and voices, this way, Miss," K-9 said, rolling down the sidewalk.
They walked for ten minutes before reaching Main Street. It was a sleepy afternoon, and there wasn't a lot happening. It looked like the classic small midwestern town, though there were several groups of men wildly waving their arms in excitement and shouting.
"Is there a diner somewhere?" Joyce said, gazing up and down the street. "I could do with a cup of coffee. Or something cold."
"Unknown, Miss," K-9 said.
"Oh! That looks promising," Joyce said, spotting a sign that said Martin's Ice Cream Parlor. "Do we have any money for a shake?"
K-9 beeped, and a small door on his side popped open. "Yes, Miss," he said.
"You're a wonder, K-9," Joyce said, grabbing a handful of quarters. She examined them closely. "And it's even the right date."
Nodding to herself, Joyce opened the door, holding it open wide enough for K-9 to enter with her. Looking around, she spotted an empty table near the back. "That one, K-9," she said.
"Yes, Miss," K-9 said.
Taking a seat, and ignoring the boys at the next table who were staring at K-9 with interest, she waved over a waitress, and picked up the small menu from the center of the table. "No coffee, K-9," she whispered. "Looks like a shake." K-9 beeped quietly in agreement.
"What can I get you," the young looking waitress asked, pad of paper and pencil ready.
"Is the cherry pie good?" Joyce asked. "And do you have it to go?"
"To go?" The waitress said, sounding puzzled. "It's the best cherry pie in town."
Joyce ignored that giggling from the boys at that answer. "A piece for now, and one to take with me?"
"We can do that," the waitress said, nodding. "Anything else?"
"A chocolate milkshake," Joyce said. "Thank you."
The waitress finished writing down Joyce's order, and hurried away. As soon as she was gone, one of the older boys slid into a seat at Joyce's table.
"Is that a robot?" he said, pushing up his glasses.
"I don't believe we've been introduced," Joyce said haughtily, in her best no-nonsense imitation of her mother.
"Henry Mulligan," he said. "You aren't from around here."
"Just passing through," Joyce said, nodding thanks to the waitress as she set down the slice of pie and milkshake.
"Are you here about the monster in the lake?" he asked.
"What gives you that idea?" Joyce asked.
"You don't look like a reporter," Henry said. "But you have a robot, so you're probably with a scientist."
Joyce raised an eyebrow. "I do travel with a scientist, of sorts," she admitted. "You don't think I could be one myself?"
Henry shrugged. "In Mammoth Falls?"
"Scientists have to live somewhere," Joyce said. "But I'm more the artist type. Now, my sister Darlene would make a good scientist. All she ever talks about are airplanes." She finished her piece of pie.
"Is your scientist here about the monster?" Henry asked. "Is your robot something to catch the monster with?"
"I can't answer that," Joyce said, giving him a steady look. "That's proprietary information."
"So, you are here for the monster. If you need a place to stay, we can help you find one. All the motel rooms and cabins are full with reporters and other scientists," Henry said. "And we know the lake and town like we were born here."
"Were you born here?" Joyce asked, knowing a line when she heard one.
"In here?" Henry said, looking around the Ice Cream Shop. "We have a hospital. Mammoth Falls has all the modern facilities. We even have an air base."
"I'll have to talk with my scientist," Joyce said. "We didn't plan to be in town for very long. But I'm glad to know there's someone who is willing to help us out. Very neighborly."
"We take pride in our town," Henry said.
"I understand," Joyce said. "I'm from Dayton, home of the Wright Brothers. We're very proud of our scientists." She finished her milkshake, and waved the waitress back over. The waitress put a small paper bag down on the table, and Joyce handed over the exact amount in coins, plus several extra quarters for a tip. "Thank you," she said. Picking up her bag, she stood up. "Time to get back," she said to K-9 in a low voice. "If we decide to take advantage of your offer, where will we find you?" she asked Henry.
"You can leave a message for us here," Henry said, in a very businesslike tone.
"Of course," Joyce said. She nodded to the boys at the other table, and gave Henry a small wave, and headed to the entrance, K-9 following quietly behind her.
She walked for several minutes, before looking down at K-9. "What do you think?" she asked him.
"Inadequate information, Miss," K-9 said. "My memory banks do not contain any information regarding a monster in this area in this time period.
"We'll have to find a newspaper," Joyce said. "I'm sure there's a library around here somewhere."
"Agreed, Miss," K-9 said.
Joyce was silent until they reached the TARDIS. "Romana!" She said, as she and K-9 entered the console room. "I got you some pie."
"Pie?" Romana said, looking up from the console, where she'd been poking several switches. "What kind?"
"Cherry," Joyce said. "Supposed to be the best in town." She handed the bag to Romana. "How much longer?"
"Another day," Romana said, opening the bag.
"Can we go monster hunting?" Joyce said.
"Monster hunting?" Romana said, looking up from the bag.
"Someone saw a monster in the local lake," Joyce said. "I don't have any details yet. The town is full of reporters and scientists searching for it."
"What do you think, K-9"? Romana said. "Is it worth looking into?"
"Unknown, Mistress," K-9 said.
"Maybe it's a lost alien?" Joyce said. "Doesn't that make it our business?"
"I'll need more information to determine that," Romana said.
"I can go to the library tomorrow, while you finish fixing Idris," Joyce said.
"Alright," Romana said. "Find me reliable information about this monster tomorrow, and we'll look into it."
"Yeah!" Joyce said, smiling. "I'll have to let Henry know."
"Henry?" Romana said, puzzled.
"A nerdy boy I met in town. He offered to help us," Joyce said. "Right, K-9?"
"Affirmative, Miss," K-9 said.