Author's Notes: AU after Journey's End for Donna, Jack, Martha and AU after Planet of the Dead for Ten.
This was where Aggie brought Emma to be deafened and to argue about what was considered 'good music'.
The unimaginatively named Tribute Band Festival, possibly the only place in the Far Future to have a glimpse of bands long dead- live. There may have been a New Earth, but as the Doctor often reminded her, bringing artists back to life was impossible and wrong.
Emma had lost count of the times she'd borrowed her dad's Scissor Sisters albums and her mum's boyband collections. Aggie was also an unashamed advocator of popular music, she just loved anything and everything, but try as she might, she was never going to like the Housemartins and the Doctor had had to accept that there were other things they could share.
Aggie was very impressed by the new batch of auditionees vying to do an experimental duet featuring one soul singer and one rougher, punkier singer.
She saw a very pretty girl, pitching the idea of some Alicia Keys songs, but turning some into a duet with someone who had more of a Avril Lavigne-type voice.
"I can sing!" she protested.
"You heard me!"
A rather important-looking humanoid alien with a slightly bluish tint to his skin peered at her over rimmed glasses. "I'm sorry, it's over, your partner isn't here!"
"She's dead!" she cried back at him. "Geez, I just need some time to find a new one!"
"Yes, we were very saddened to hear about how she decided her politics was worth dying for," he said curtly. "One of many."
"One, she was defending her home, I'm not saying I agree, and two, none of this changes the fact that we have a place and I'm not letting you tell me that I'm not even allowed to find a new partner?"
"Use your brain! Honestly, we need to see everyone from the prelim. Everyone! You can't be in unless we see your collaborator. Look, you're obviously grieving! Come back next year, with a new singer. We know you're fantastic and a dead ringer for Ms. Keys, but I can't let you get away with this, it's a competition!"
He smiled ruefully. "It's a creative outlet and a chance to maybe gain some leverage towards fame. I can't let you go through in a competition for duets on your own. Think about it. I'm sorry, Isobel, it's just not happening. This is not Woodstock, this is not the 20th century's lapsadasiacal nostalgia, however much we cater for fans of that kind of thing. This is the biggest showcase of musical history in M87. You're not above the rules!"
"I know, but-"
"You young people! Take some time off and come back next year; get sponsored, raise some money and come back... you'll always get through."
Isobel was simultaneously relieved and disgusted. "Fine! You watch!"
She walked away, and he stared after her.
Aggie sighed and walked away, back to her TARDIS, and hoped Emma was somewhere nearby, so she didn't have to spend ages searching.
***
"We're going home!" announced Isobel, striding into the band's tent. There was a groan.
"Bollocks!" announced the drummer, a scruffy humanoid with a light covering of tawny fur, all bangles and wristbands and make up- like any teenager walking the streets of 21st century Earth. With fur.
"Makes sense, Den! I mean she could be shit, for all they know!"
"Still, how the hell are we supposed to pay? To come back?"
"Oh, I 'll save some money."
"It's alright for you, rich girl, but some of us-"
"I'll deal with it! Just pack up, if I'm not singing I'm not staying in a tent for a week!"
"One of us could sing!" the tawny one added hopefully.
"We're all shit! Don't you think we coulda thought of that?" the bass player chided. "You furry bastard!"
"Please don't be an instigator!" Isobel blustered, noting the inference. "Take your time, it's fine, but we're leaving tonight!"
And she strutted off.
"Who made her the boss!" she heard Den say plaintively.
"It's because you rejected her," the bass player replied, almost happily. Den moaned loudly and carried on packing.
Isobel walked away from the tent. She kept walking, defiantly, until she was a good mile away; in the secondary car park. The 'reject' car park.
This was where some guests pretended they were talented by paying a small sum to park near to the actual singers' vehicles- and to sing badly and make themselves feel better.
It was all various shimmering hover cars as far as the eye could see.
But at the side, near the bins, about three hundred yards away she spotted what looked like a car from that old Earth film about teenagers from the 1950s on Earth; it was a very famous one, but the title escaped her. Her history teacher would be ashamed.
Two girls her age were sat next to the car, both in long dark coats, one blonde, one brunette, giggling over what looked like a audio device.
She looked straight at them.
The brunette looked back at her, a contrast of a very pale face and large dark sunglasses. She prodded her friend.
She waltzed up to them. "That's a nice car! I didn't know they did nostalgia cars from that that far back."
"'Oh, the perception filter's fine'!" the brunette growled, playfully thumping her friend. "Idiot!"
"I told you, I'm not sure how they work!"
"Yes, it is nice," the one with sunglasses continued, ignoring her friend. "It's my baby. Based on a '56 Chevrloet Bel-Air. That's nineteen fifty-six."
"It doesn't fly!" Isobel exclaimed, pointing at the exhaust. "That's a real, working engine; you can see the soot! How'd you get in? What is it for? How did... where is it from?"
"Oh, a clever one!" the brunette announced, half-annoyed, half-impressed.
"What?"
"My name is Aggie, One, it's not a car, it's an image, and I like it and second of all...history student?"
"Yeah, when I'm not failing at music." Isobel's dark eyes shimmered excitedly. "Wait, what? For what?"
"Do you like it here?"
"Doesn't matter, we've been rejected, for now at least." Isobel pushed her hair out of her eyes. "We're going. And how how did someone my age get a perception filter?"
"She reminds me of your mum," the blonde one interjected.
"Unless you're a bit more not human than I think you are, I mean, everyone's a mixture these days, but..."
"Oh, yeah, she does!" The blonde girl's blue eyes glittered.
"My dad told me there were still...people that could work this stuff, clever people, hidden scientists; advanced races that save us in ways we'll never know, I never believed him. He said they were destroyed but a few clung on and now serve the greater good."
The blonde, Emma, shook her head.
Aggie stared at her, almost lustfully. "Oh, who are you?"
"Isobel," she replied. "Smart-arse, tribute act and failing history student."
"Oh, I think you'll like this lot," Emma rolled her eyes.
"You're one of us!" Aggie chided.
"The people your dad told you about; they're real and annoying as ever."
"Shush. Oh, I love your compassion...your ethics! Don't joke!" Aggie thumped her again.
"I'm working on this one!" she added, smirking at Isobel.
"What is it really?"
"Surely your dad told you about the technology?"
She thought for an moment. "Something that you don't want anyone to to find? Pf, it must involve time-travel. But it's all a story, isn't it?"
"Is she coming with us?" Emma grinned.
"Why not? I need some help on the ethics front!"
She smiled and jerked Isobel forward. "In!"
Isobel stared at her.
"Oh, they won't even know you've been gone! D'you want to see Earth for real or not?"
"I didn't say-"
"Oh, it's all over your face, come on!"
"Nice place, mostly." Emma chipped in.
"You would say that, you're a rich girl from the 21st century... in addition to..."
She beckoned them both and they clambered into the car, and Isobel could see very quickly that legend didn't quite cover it.
"It's bigger on the inside!" Isobel announced excitedly. Why she trusted them, she didn't know.
Aggie thought for a second. "Really? I hadn't noticed!"
There was burning, gushing and twisting and then nothing. Nothing at all.
She blinked, she saw a long mane of ash blonde hair, some strands of which were covering her face. She ran her hand along her side; she was slight. And taller, and she had somewhat big feet, which had been jammed uncomfortably into black, patent heels.
She sat up and found an office full of people in suits gaping at her. Her head throbbed where it had hit the thinly-carpeted floor. A young women in an oversized black suit looked concerned.
"Oh, are you alright? Did I upset you? I'm sorry! I just thought you'd want it back. Did you have a flashback or something? Is it like, a bad memory trigger or something? D'you want me to chuck it? Am I fired?"
She was clutching something in her hand. She shooed the rest of her colleagues away. "Go get some water!" she barked at one of them, as they all ran for their lives.
"What?" the blonde asked, hazy.
"I found it, when I was in your flat! You said, you know, come up with ideas. I was feeding the cat at lunch-exactly when you said- and I thought, maybe it's worth something! It was down behind the cat's litter tray, of all places, stuck to the floor and everything, must've been there ages...!" She babbled.
"Maybe we can use it to, you know, lure that woman your police friend wants banged up so badly, you know: make a huge fuss, it's valuable, blah, blah, blah, and then bang she tries to take it- it's too hard to resist- and we can nab her this time, you get credit, he gets credit, company image boost...kaching! Case closed... oh, it's stupid. Again, am I fired?"
She smiled nervously. "I'm sorry, what? Give me that-"
She saw a manicured hand snatch the object from the girl's hand.
"It looks expensive!" she replied hopefully.
"I'm sorry, who are you?"
"I'm...Jane, your...your assistant?" she blustered, crestfallen. "I feed your cat," she added wryly.
"The watch."
"Oh, you know about it! D'you not want to risk it? Oh, I'm stupid, ignore me, it obviously means a lot to you, look what happened when you laid eyes on it!"
The ash blonde recovered herself slightly and looked at the assistant, straight into her eyes.
"I quit!" She beamed, lifting herself up from the floor.
"But, why? What? Sarah, I don't understand! Since when?"
"Since now!" she replied with joyous finality. "I'll need a file with all my details and history, and my phone, I have a phone?"
Jane was dumbfounded. She nodded slowly.
"I'll wait outside, bring it all, ten minutes. Oh, and since it doesn't matter, my name's not Sarah. Ugh, that's even worse than 'Romana', which I am now saddled with as everyone refuses to say anything else!"
She thought this girl was scared enough without having alien names announced at her.
And she almost skipped away.
"But..!"
"Files!" she said cheerily, waving her hand in farewell, still walking away. If she was right, there was a pretty urgent meeting to be had that definitely didn't involve this PR company run by humans.