The Players
The Doctor, an intergalactic time traveler.
Frobisher, a shape shifting Wifferdill in the form of a Penguin.
The Women of the N.W.A.L.C.O.A.B.B.W.A.W.
A Mysterious Man in a Brown Durby.
Bob and Bill, workers for the City Council.
 

        The Doctor and Frobisher crouch in the doorway of a warehouse as the members of the N.W.A.L.C.O.A.B.B.W.A.W., all screaming for blood, pass them by.  “Remind me to never take you to another one of those again,” the Doctor tells Frobisher angrily.  “Promise,” is all the 4-foot tall penguin answers.  The Doctor peers out from the confines of the doorway checking that all is clear.  “Looks like we’ve lost them.  Now lets get back to the TARDIS.”  The two leave their hiding place and slowly move down the street.  Making sure that either the angry mob or the American Secret Service does not see them, the Doctor slowly inches his way along the wall of the warehouse towards the corner.  Turning, he notices that Frobisher is no longer behind him.  Looking around alarmed, the Doctor begins to call for his companion in a low shout.  “Frobisher.  Frobisher.  Frobisher!”  Nothing.  Not a word from his companion.  Beginning to think that the worst had happened, the Doctor razes his voice an octave.  “Frobisher!”  “What” comes the response from behind him.  The Doctor swings around to find Frobisher standing besides him holding a hot dog in one flipper and a coke in the other.  The doctor cannot believe his eyes.  “Just what do you think you are doing?”  The anger in the Doctor’s voice is very noticeable.  “Well it’s been a while since we’ve eaten and I am a growing penguin and there was this hot dog guy and he had this special…”  The Doctor cuts him off with a sharp raze of his hand.  Crouching down he looks his flighty companion straight in the eyes.  “Frobisher,” he says.  His voice low and controlled.  “We are in a hostile situation.  Maybe you have forgotten but we’re wanted for the murder of an American President, and the five hundred women of the National Women’s Auxiliary Leadership Committee Organization for A Better Britain and the World After the War are out to get us because you turned their dearly departed sister into a rugby ball.”  “Pull a stunt like this again…”  The Doctor chose his next words carefully.  “And I’ll kill you myself!!!”  The Doctor screamed at the top of his lungs.  “Now come on!”
        Rounding the corner where they had left the TARDIS the Doctor comes face to face with, nothing!  Looking around curiosity he scratches his lock of curly hair.  “I’m sure this is the spot we’ve left the old girl.”  “Well she ain’t here now,” Frobisher responds, beginning to panic.  “And I can hear those crazy dames heading back this way.”  But the Doctor just ignores his rant.  Walking slowly around the spot where the TARDIS had formally stood, the Doctor is deep in thought.  “It couldn’t just dematerialize by itself.  And the special drift compensators were all switched off.”  “Hmmm,” he continues to examine the spot.
         Meanwhile Frobisher has wandered away from the Doctor to peer around the corner.  Amassing down the street were the hundreds of members of the N.W.A.L.C.O.A.B.B.W.A.W., an ugly looking group even by Frobisher standards.  Suddenly, one of the club leaders, a rather pompous looking woman with blue hair spots the penguin.  “There he is!” she screams at the top of her lungs, and the group turns towards Frobisher and begins to run.  In their hand, held high over their heads, each lady holds a flaming torch.  “Where in the world did they get those?!" Frobisher shouts, as he turns on his heels, flippers flapping, heading back towards the Doctor.
 The Doctor however has come to a conclusion.  “Something is wrong here,” he is saying to himself just as Frobisher comes barreling into him.  “Frobisher be a bit more careful!”  “I think I’ve figured out what’s going on around here,” the doctor explained.  But Frobisher was in no mood for explanations.  All he could do is stutter and point in the direction of the corner with a flippered hand.  “What is it,” the Doctor asks.  “Come now, don’t you realize that I figured it out?” The Doctor tried to clam his panicked companion but to no avail.  “Frobisher,” he pleaded, “I’m trying to tell you that I know where we are and what’s happing.”  But the Doctor’s words just fell on deaf ears, as Frobisher continues to point, and stutter.  Finally the Doctor gives up.  “Okay, what can be sooo important that it’s gotten you into this state?”  Before Frobisher can answer a flock of women comes pouring around the corner engulfing the time travelers.

 The man with the little brown durby slowly walks down the corridor of a very modern, and technology advanced hallway.  Stopping at a pair of large gray doors the man reaches out and places his hand on their smooth surface.  They slid soundlessly open to reveal an ultra modern control panel.  Reaching out the man turns on single switch set in the center of the panel.  Laughing he thinks to himself, ‘now doctor, let us see you get out of this one.”

         Out in the street, surrounded by several hundred blue haired women brandishing torches, the Doctor and Frobisher talk for their lives.  “Now, now, lets not do anything drastic,” the Doctor pleads.  “We are both dreadfully sorry for the mishap with your dear departed sister,” the Doctor adds.  “And I can assure you that my companion meant no disrespect.”  “Yea, no disrespect!”  Frobisher adds, cowering behind the Doctor’s rather large frame.  The Doctor continues, “Now I’m sure we can work out any little misunderstandings we have over a nice cup of tea.  What do you say?"  The two look around nervously as none of the women utter a word.  “What do you think they’re waiting for,” Frobisher asks.  “I’m not sure,” is all the Doctor replies.  “Well this is weird,” Frobisher continues, looking around at the torches held over their heads.  “Its like something from a Frankenstein movie.”  “It is, isn’t it,” the Doctor answers intuitively.  “Very much like something out of a movie.”  The Doctor decides to try once again to de-fuse the situation.  “A nice cup of tea would feel good right about now, and there’s a café right down the street.”
         Once again the women say nothing, the silence think enough to cut with a knife.  Then, quite deliberately one of the women towards the front moves ever so slowly towards the Doctor.  “I…I…I would like a cup of tea.” Her voice is low and sheepish.  Suddenly another women steps forward, then another and another and another, all wanting a cup of tea.  Relieved, the Doctor wipes his brow smiling at the crowd.  “Well let’s just go and get some them.”  Turning to Frobisher, “that was close.  Now move slowly and don’t do or saying anything that might get us into more trouble.”  “Hey its me you’re talking to,” Frobisher responds.  “Have I ever let you down?”  The Doctor just rolls his eyes and slowly moves in the direction of the café.  Frobisher begins to follow when suddenly a though hits him.  “Hey, have any of you broads seen a large blue box with a light on top of it?”  The Doctor had nearly a moment to cringe before the mob explodes and all goes black!

        Bill closes the large metal doors as Bob removes the key from his trousers and locks the rather large padlock.  “How many does this make,” Bob asks again.  “For the last time sixty-two,” Bill responds.  “And it’s the last one,” Bob continues.  “I’ve already told you that several times.  It’s the last one!”  Bill could never understand how Bob ever passed his entrance exam to get this job.  Yet Bob just smiles and continues, “guess that means it time for a break.”  And with that he sits on a bench next to the metal doors and reaches into his pocket.  Once again Bill just looks towards the heavens and sighs.  “Yea Bob.  Its time for a break.”

Story © 2002 John Rocco Roberto.