Luke Smith's arrival [OPEN]

[lukesmith]

Alone for once, Luke trots absently along the way home from school, mind already on his homework. He doesn't mind homework, at least when it's math or science. It took him a while to get why the other kids all hate doing homework -- learning's sort of the point of school, and his teachers have been giving him stuff from beyond his grade level to keep him busy. He can sort of understand it when he thinks about his English homework, though; the thought that he's going to have to spend tonight trying to puzzle through more of Romeo and Juliet is not an uplifting one.

Something catches his eye and he pauses, thoughts brought back to the world around him. He can't say what it was, but for a moment there was some sort of flicker -- something that didn't seem quite right. He frowns, brow furrowing, and takes a step backward to try to see it again. "Hello?" he calls tentatively, peering into the shrubbery. "Is someone there?"

There's another...something. Luke looks around, wondering for a moment if he should go get Sarah Jane or Clyde or Maria. But no, it's probably nothing much, and it might be gone by the time he gets back. Shrugging his backpack straps further up on his shoulders, Luke wades into the greenery by the walkway where he thinks he saw it. Maybe it's something that's been cloaked, or maybe it's an alien -- or maybe it's nothing and he's tearing his jeans for no good reason. He stoops and pushes his hands through the branches, looking, and --

And there's a sideways jerk, a feeling of falling, and he stumbles and lands on his rear in shallow water. Gasping in surprise (and cold!), he flails, splashing, and scrambles to his feet. He shivers violently as he looks around, wide eyes taking in his suddenly changed surroundings. Theres's...a fountain? He's fallen in a lake?? There's some sort of terrace going down into the icy water, and he's on one of those steps. He doesn't know how this is possible, since he's never even seen this place before he appeared here. Shaking with the cold, he tries to climb up onto the next step, slips, and falls back in the water.

"Help!"

Comments

[lukesmith]

Luke is aware one does not take one's clothes off in public, but he's going to freeze if he doesn't and this isn't public anyway. He's still shivering as he reaches for the pile of dry clothes, but the warm air is helping. The clothes themselves feel fantastically warm after his ordeal.

He looks over at Topher sharply in the middle of doing up the zip on the oversize trousers. "That's f-four years," he says, shocked. "I've b-been gone for four years?"

[brink]

Topher looks back at him when he's at least gotten some pants on. "Umm... No," he answers awkwardly. "You haven't been gone, because you were never here to begin with. This isn't your universe."

There's just really no way to break that gently, so Topher gives him an awkwardly apologetic face. Sorry, kid! You might never see your friends or family again. Have a lollipop! Except Topher doesn't have a lollipop. ...Actually, he might, but it seems a little insensitive, even for him.

[lukesmith]

"But you said you knew Sarah Jane." Luke's sitting bolt upright now, the matter of putting a shirt on forgotten as he gives Topher an intent, almost accusatory look. "And you knew who I was. And you can't travel through a wormhole, because you'd be crushed to nothing."

[brink]

"Well, it's not a wormhole, not exactly," Topher answers. Right, he should stick to the actual science with this kid, rather than vague terms. "We don't know exactly how it works, but... Here."

He reaches into his bag and pulls out a gadget with a large screen showing various read-outs, showing it to Luke. "This is a basic read of the rift energy at the lake. The energy's strongest here, that's why I was here, I was measuring it. See that spike, there?" he explains, pointing. "That's when you came through."

[lukesmith]

Luke's still giving Topher a distrustful look, but he turns his gaze to the screen. There are markings and units he doesn't recognize, but it only takes him a couple moments to see what Topher's talking about. "So this has happened to other people," he concludes. "Otherwise, you wouldn't know about it."

He frowns to himself as he pulls the shirt on, need for warmth finally overriding delay for information. "How do I get back?" he asks plainly. "And how do you know it's another universe?"

[brink]

"You don't get back... I've been here two months now," Topher answers somberly. "I came through the same way you did, but in San Francisco. Been studying the rift ever since, and we've yet to find a way to reverse it. Even if we did, there's no guarantee you wouldn't just end up somewhere else."

Yeah, Topher is holding off on the Sarah Jane question for now. That's probably gonna take more convincing. Instead he leans over and taps at the window, and the car starts driving, now that Luke is done changing. Meanwhile, Topher needs to take off a few layers, given how warm it is in this van.

[lukesmith]

Luke blinks, and counters that statement with the principle of denial. "I can't be stuck here," he says. "I have to go home."

His frown deepens. "I want to call Sarah Jane. Even if she isn't my mum in this universe, she'd help."

[brink]

Topher pulls his phone back out of his pocket and hands it to Luke. He very much doubts it will go through, but there's no harm in trying. (Topher wouldn't mind meeting Sarah Jane himself.)

This is the problem with greeting new arrivals. Sure, sometimes interesting new people from other times and universes, but they rarely take the news well. Topher didn't.

[lukesmith]

Luke would go digging for his own phone, but it's probably dead thanks to the lake. He accepts Topher's instead and dials the number, dutifully putting in the extra digits for an international call.

He puts it to his ear and waits. After what must be several rings, he draws a breath, and flinches as someone says something rather cross to him about the time. "I'm sorry," he says automatically, immediately plowing on with "Is Sarah Jane there? Sarah Jane Smith?"

More grouchy tones from the other end of the line, and Luke's frown deepens. "Yeah, I must've," he says faintly, and then the call's over. He hands the phone back to Topher, not looking at the man. His eyes are wet.

[brink]

Topher accepts the phone and pockets it, then awkwardly pats Luke on the shoulder. "Sorry, kid..."

After a few moments of more awkward silence, Topher adds, "We'll get you set up with a place to live and everything. Money for food." Actually, come to think of it, how old is Luke? Early teens? What's the procedure for children who come through the rift? Topher has no idea. He's never been one for procedure. (Never really been one for kids, either.) Probably get them enrolled in school or something.

[lukesmith]

"She could be at another number," says Luke, his voice sounding flat. She could be, but he doubts she is.

He draws in a breath and nods. "I'd like to help study it," he says, finally looking at Topher again. He's a genius, after all, surely he can help figure out how to get himself home.

[brink]

Topher smiles. He'd been expecting that, and honestly, he'd been hoping for it. Always good to get another genius onboard.

"Fine with me," Topher answers encouragingly. "You gotta get through all the formalities and such first though. We're going to headquarters now."

[lukesmith]

"Does this happen a lot?" he asks. "Are there lots of people who came through like us?"

Because it sounds like this is a regular thing. Luke's not too keen on the formalities, whatever those are going to be, but it seems like he doesn't have much choice.

[brink]

"There's a good few, yeah," Topher answers, which is a bit of an understatement, really. It used to be rarer, but it's been happening more and more, recently.

Luke doesn't seem to be as cold anymore, but Topher digs out the container of cocoa and the cup anyway, as well as a bag of cookies, offering it to him. "There's been a few occurences where people who know each other come through." Just thought he'd mention that, in case Sarah Jane suddenly comes through as well. Not that it's extremely likely.

[lukesmith]

Luke should be on his way home for afternoon tea right now -- the cocoa and cookies make him think of it, and make him think of Sarah Jane waiting for him and Maria and Clyde wondering where he is, and it makes his stomach clench. He accepts the containers being handed over to him, pouring some cocoa with shaky hands.

"All at once, or at different times?" he asks.

[brink]

"Varies," he answers, grabbing a bag of chips for himself. "And they're not always from the same times, either."

So, you know, it's entirely possible a Sarah Jane comes through who doesn't even know Luke yet. He's not going to mention that unless Luke brings it up, though.

[lukesmith]

Luke nods slowly, mulling that over as he chews on a cookie. Something worrying occurs to him.

"Is everyone who comes through from the same universe?" he asks. "I mean, if they can come from different times - and I was on the other side of the world."

[brink]

Topher shakes his head. "You don't exist in my universe," he answers. "And people have come through talking about alternate histories. People from the same time, but where history and society was different from this universe's, or from my own." Honestly, he's pretty glad this universe isn't exactly like his own. No Dollhouses. He's checked.

[lukesmith]

So even if Sarah Jane comes through, she might not be his Sarah Jane. The situation is looking more and more bleak.

Of course, Topher's first comment brings back a question he's been meaning to ask. "Then how did you know who I was?" he asks.

[brink]

Right. That. "Ehhh.. Well, sometimes stuff bleeds through between universes. Turn into stories... Or... TV shows..." Topher is a little bit shifty now. Cause. Awkward? Probably nowhere near as awkward (and possibly panicking) as he would be if he found out someone knew his story, though. What with the whole apocalypse thing, not to mention some things which really ought to be kept private!

[lukesmith]

Doesn't he mean thoughtpocalypse?

Luke gives him the blankest of looks for several long moments. "Like documentaries?" he eventually asks, assuming the best.

[brink]

Well it didn't actually happen (as far as he knows...) so it might not need a name after all.

"Like science fiction drama," Topher answers, giving up on trying to sugar-coat it. "About, say, how your mom used to travel in time..." He really, really tries to avoid mentioning this stuff to people, really, he does! But then Luke kept asking. But at least he's not going to tell him anything about what happens to him or Sarah Jane later.

[lukesmith]

"With the Doctor?" Luke furrows his brow, not sure how to feel about this. "So people have...seen me on TV? And they think it isn't real?"

[brink]

"Well, not in this universe. But in mine," Topher answers. "For all I know, I'm in a TV show in your world." He hopes not, but he DOES lead a very interesting life, which would admittedly make a great TV show.

[lukesmith]

It's not a show Luke would have watched, if that's any comfort.

"Oh. So I can't watch it." Disappointment! Also...relief? "But you've watched it, haven't you?"