Date: Thu, 28 Dec 2017 12:36:19 -0500 From: tomak Subject: DOCTOR WHO, JESSE AND JEREMY 171 My boys are missing. Did I tell you that? How long? I had that happen again last night. I'm alone. Just the robot dog, who's in the best of shape these days and can take care of himself and the cat. Not that the cat needs taking care of. She/he can fend for himself quite well, find the food machines and all that. Very independent that cat. I must find out whether or not it's an Earth cat one day. One day. I wandered outside and immediately realized I had to put a tent over the TARDIS to make it less...uhm, conspicuous. It was a very hot beach with very hot boys on it. I bought myself one of those spots on one of those wooden white and black chairs. I'm not sure of the year. It could have been 1971 or 1912 or 2018. It didn't really matter. No one noticed me. Me in my newest and probably hottest ever body in one of the skimpiest bathing suits the TARDIS could drum up for me. Don't know why I did it. I didn't think I would regenerate this time. Hearts broken and all that. Of course, there could be others. That boy there. It was hazy and out of the drizzle of heat he came. Golden locks. Or were they chestnut brown? Ginger? Ahh, ginger. No, he was mix of all three. The slenderest legs I've ever seen. Completely hairless, smooth. Youthful. Graceful as he ran to the glistening water, which I could hardly see from my position. Not that the angle was bad: it was that darned haze. I put a hand to my forehead to see. He was a dream. He didn't even notice me. No one did. I noticed no one but him. Of course, there he was running at the sea and then later, returning from it. I tried not to make anyone notice me noticing him. I wasn't sure of the year. Had it been 4000 maybe no one would have cared. He was obviously readying to boy pay or rough house or wrestle...WRESTLE!!! With that other hottie I saw him with before I came to die...settle... on this chair. The other boy was much more macho. He had about three to four inches on the first one and more muscles. He didn't wear any shirt as his partner but nor did he wear the skimpy thong his partner had. Cousins? Punches to the arm. He was manlier although no body hair either...or not much. Anyway, he seemed familiar somehow. It seemed that maybe he was me. In an earlier body? A later body? How could that be...for here I was in Venice about to experience another death. The TARDIS and I still weren't...well, I wasn't, anyway. I had the feeling HE knew, the TARDIS...where we were. I didn't. Venice Beach, California? Venice, Italy? Venice, Florida, City on the Gulf? No, no. I was sure it was a beach in Venice. Which reminded me of a story. Venice had a cemetery which was threatened with sinking. On another planet or was it the future? There were these scientists, see, and they were trying to find out why some of their people were dying prematurely. The people were buried on a similar island which then DID sink. Was it Italy in the future? My memory's getting awful. I really wish I had kept that 2000 or more year diary. I mean when you get to be as old as I am...what is it, now? Twenty thousand years give or take a few centuries? In any case, these scientists found this life form, a fish and a snake and bunch of other things it resembled on Earth, which NEVER died. They meant well and weren't doing the experimenting for any mean spirited or evil reasons. They cut into them. Most of the fish...it's terrible when even one dies, isn't it? Most em' were returned to the sea, even ones that had their arms cut off 100 times and regenerated. The fish were so...well free, they went to swim in the area where the dead people were buried and I don't know if it was their body composition, if they ate parts of the beings there or if there was some other reason...if just being there, perhaps, was what did it but the dead rose from that sunken island. The scientists thought, at first, as did the lay people, that the fish were doing it as revenge. The people, you see, rose as zombies...and they were hungry. But not for others. Just for roast flower. Yes, that's right, roast flower. When they ate this special kind of flower, they were restored to full health and body. I don't know why I told you all that. Was I there? Was I one of the fish? The scientists? The dead people? Was it Gallifrey? Far past? Far future? Fuck's sake. Anyway, as I died there with my shades on, no one saw my unstaring eyes. My body grew cold even in the steaming heat. I alternated between hot and cold for a bit and a cabana boy...sheesh, cor, even he's hot, brought me a blanket somehow knowing it needed it. I felt, even though he heeded some call from somewhere that I needed it, completely and totally alone. I am not even sure I wanted him sexually. He was ...I wanted him to know me, notice me, and acknowledge the good I've done in my lives. Be one with both my hearts. I longed for him. To know him. Talk to him. Want him. He hardly knew...no, didn't know I existed and yet, time and time again, I've saved his very world in the past and the future, probably saved children he might have in the future...well, no chance of that. He's obviously one of me. One of them. I'm addicted to them, wanting him. Where were they? Where did he go? The boy and his erstwhile cousin or lover or the other me or perhaps a new Jesse or new Jeremy---did they develop the ability to regenerate?---were doing their boy play again? Were they wet from it? Were we even in our universe or one of the future ones, the newer ones? If felt content there, feeling totally alone but also the lack of something...my boys were missing. Did I tell you that? Jesse and Jeremy were gone...and now, so was I... ...two boys shielded their eyes from the glowing light from the older man who lay in the black and white wooden beach chair nearby...they ran to it but had to stop from the wild glare of the energy engulfing the man and ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_nmNQQFXFU&t=3s Doctor OHO out of vortex... DOCTOR WHO, JEREMY AND JESSE 171 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpE07iP1r5Y&t=27402s LEWIS AND CLARK episode two https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfOG0td7LyE&t=13s As Clark spread out next to Jeremy, he put his arms behind his head and his elbow touched Jeremy's hip and under arm as he made his motion. He turned to the beautiful boy and laughed. Jeremy just moved away a bit and laughed in return. No one noticed. Jeremy tried not to get hard but he noticed Clark was...very. He thought the other men were too busy with Jesse and Marco Polo to notice. Someone that was noticing was Lewis, who chose to bathe somewhere else and was now fully dressed and watching ...at first, he watched the game, seemingly from afar so they could not see him. To anyone watching, Lewis would have seemed a stalker, which he was not. Mostly. Jeremy was glad Clark grew silent, taking his hint. But soon the natural curiosity of the man drew more talk. Talk between Clark and Jeremy drew Lewis's attention. It was nothing talk, just trying to get to know you talk. Jeremy tried to avoid lying to Clark but also managed to field most questions or make something up about where his family was from, what they did and more. He told Clark that he was very young when kidnapped and remembered very little. He went over in his mind the details he already told the men. He tried to give Clark the impression that he just wanted to lay in the sun and soak it in. >From the bushes that surrounded the area, Lewis watched with mounting jealousy. He took out his small gun and aimed it at Jeremy! "Captain Lewis!" One of the men yelled out and it so startled Lewis that his gun went off...as he turned toward the sound behind him. The shot hit a flat boulder embedded in the greenery. The yell and the sound of the gunshot roused everyone from the water, naked men, naked Jesse, all dripping, glistening in the beautiful summer shine. Jeremy sprang to his feet, too and ready to help Clark up but Clark was on his feet seconds after. Clark raced to his gun and pants, pants first. Decorum, Jeremy wondered. Or something else? On rocks outlining the river but not very close to it, were literally thousands of figures. All shapes, all sizes. They were obviously men. Most of them were naked. All of them had some kind of weapon. Bow and arrows, some with two arrows. Tomahawks. Axes. Long spears. As Lewis emerged from bushes, Clark looked at him quizzically. "What do you think you were playing at?" "I saw a very large...something. A kind of red fox. But big." Lewis lied. Jeremy was between them in no time. "Those aren't found here." "Oh yes?" Lewis asked. But it was Clark that asked the question. "How'd you know that?" "More of your Indian friends?" "Them?" Jeremy nodded. None of them took their eyes off the Indians on the ridge of the rocky but green covered hills. "I mean that showed you red foxes the size of cats." "Yeah," Jeremy spoke up with an attitude. "As a matter of fact, it was." Jesse and some of the other men were behind them. The other men arrived a few moments after Jesse, the men having put on their clothing. Jesse was totally naked and still dripping wet. "And you'd thought you'd just go and shoot it." "Our immediate problem are these," Lewis shook his gun up at the Indians. "Watch you waving that, wigger." Jesse pushed his arm down. "They're liable to spear us all for that." "It's all right," Clark waved. "They're friendly." "You knew about them?" Jeremy asked, siding up to him. "Yes, they're the Osage." Clark said. Then without looking at him, asked, "Recognize them yourself?" "What? Oh. No." Jeremy shrugged. "They're too good to kidnap children like us." Clark motioned for one of his private boys to get and give him a long rifle. "If they make to try to trade you two...I don't care how many of em' there are, I'll start a war if they want." Jeremy grew horrified and it showed in his eyes. He jerked his head to Jesse, who made the same move to stare at him, wide eyed. This could cause a lot of deaths that did not happen here and now and that would change time. Jesse spoke up, first, "Cap'n. I don't think that's what they want!" Lewis frowned. "How do you know? And Clark, ole boy, if you mean to cancel our expedition here and now, now's the time. But to do it for these two? You'll gamble away all our lives and the cause of this here great nation...the President who be relyin' on us to complete its mapping out...for them?" "They're our kind, Meri," Clark was about to raise his rifle. Jeremy stood in front of him. "No. No, these are not the ones...I already told you. They don't want us." Lewis snapped. "If so, let them have them. The Osage are known for being kind to their charges." "Slaves, you mean," Clark corrected him. "How do you know?" Jesse stood in front of Lewis, who stood in front of Clark. "Have you ever been a...charge of a tribe?" "No...but...if you have experience as you say with tribes, you will fair..." Lewis turned to Clark. "Just by being here they are two extra mouths to feed, two extra dehydrations to quench, a tax on our dwindling supplies. If they go, they'll be safe and we will have more supplies. Maybe we can even get something for them in return, we can use. An extra canoe perhaps?" Jeremy looked at Clark and could see Clark milling it over in his mind. "Cap'n, I urge you not. We have been traded by peaceful tribes before to tribes who were degenerate, who slit throats of even their own kind if it meant getting ahead, who hung up dogs and bled them of blood just to send them with a dead warrior to the Hunting Grounds. Who humiliated us and made us take tests of torture...I beseech thee...do not do this." "Lewis can do it if he wants. He and I lead together..." "Captain..." Jeremy said, surprised and hurt. "I will not if you do not want it," Lewis claimed. "I do not wish it. But I think they intend to trade for somethings...that do not include yellow haired boys..." Jeremy wasn't convinced. For when one of the Natives came down the hill and had jewelry, food, furs, and something in a skin bag. Probably water. Or alcohol. But the point was that this native, followed by ten others, came down, all of them rubbed the heads of either himself or Jesse, for it was clear they had not seen many blond boys before. Clark's slave York began to tell the Indians. "Before I was caught by Master Clark, I was a naked bare boy running wild in them there hills of old where to survive I lived upon people." As he walked past, surrounded by young buck warriors, touching his hair, Jeremy heard York and glanced a mischievous one at him. York returned the favor and smiled. Jeremy smiled back. "I would have liked to have seen that." York raised an eyebrow. "The naked part, not the ate'n of people." York's dropped smile, returned. Jeremy winked at him. Clark pushed some of the Indians away from Jeremy. "That man servant. Best of his kind. Knows how to treat me when I is ill. But he just made himself seem more terrible than I want for him to be to the sav..." "The Natives?" "Yes, lad. The natives." Clark smiled. "You have a gentle nature and way of mannerisms about you, boy." Jeremy looked down at the ground. "Yeah?" "I like it." Jeremy looked at him and smiled. Jesse came over to them. There were warriors who were interested in cutting some of his hair off. He let some of them. "Not too far, young man, or they might not stop." Jesse gulped and made a worried face. Jeremy calmed him. "It's how they wear their hair, Jesse. Surely, you've noticed their head's almost completely shaved except for a lock at the center of the scalp." "It's not their scalps that I'm worried about." "You don't have to worry." York came up to them. "I will protect you." "Thanks, York. You're a pal," Jesse said and meant it. He gave a friendly punch to York's arm. As Clark moved off, Jesse tried to hurry after him, "Cap'n, can I have a..." Jeremy grabbed his arm. "Not now, Jesse. Not in front of the Indians. Later, maybe but even then..." "I hate slavery." "Well, so do I but it's a thing between them. I'm not sure even history knows but Clark may have set York free but not for another 14 years or so..." "14 more years!" Jesse gasped. "Keep it down, willya. Some of these natives already think we're warlocks or sumthin." "Sumthin? You're talkin like one of them, now." "And some of the men might not think we're on the up and up either." "I gathered that but I think we can win most of them over." "Just be careful, Jesse. We don't have the Doctor to back us up or Damon or..." At the mention of their other Time Lord friend, Jesse's face fell. Damon was killed by the Daleks, sacrificing himself to save the Doctor. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring him up...but we don't have the TARDIS to run back to..." Jesse took the hand of one of the warriors and locked eyes with him and wanted to kiss him. He, instead, let him cut a bit of his hair, guiding the strong, dark hand. "That seems to be a motif these days...no Doc, no TARD...the story of our lives." "He'll find us or...we'll find him." Jeremy said. "But we have to be careful." "I will." As he moved off, Jeremy looked after him with his eyes...of doubt. "June 2, 1804. George Drewyer & John Shields who we had sent with the horses by Land joined us this evening, they had been absent seven days, greater part of the time rain. They informed us that the Country on both sides of muddy rivers... some fine Springs & Streams. " Day was slowly going away. Jesse was finishing up wiping his neck from sweat after having helped stow some of the men's gear. "Cap'n, can I talk to you?" "Yes, lad?" Jesse smiled inwardly at the "lad". Clark still thought of him as a boy. He guessed most people would but he thought in this day and age, 180...whatever it was...people regarded guy's his age as men already. "About York?" "Yes?" Clark asked, coming up from checking his boots. "Don't you think it's about time you gave him his freedom?" Silence. Jeremy was laughing with York at the camp fire they were attempting to get started and he looked up from one knee. Both dropped their smiles and mirth. "Yes, he's been friends with you for a long time now..." Jesse eyed Clark as Clark straddled up to him and looked him in the eyes. "Since we were both about 15. You're meanin?" "Well, friends don't let others be friends by force. Catch my drift?" "Catch drift?" Clark thought on the words. He laughed. "Oh, I like that expression. Yes, yes, I do." "Haven't you ever thought about it?" Jesse asked, "I mean freeing him? He's probably saved your life more than you know." "I know all the times he's nursed me back to health." "That's not the point," Jesse continued and as Clark moved off, Jesse moved himself in front of the man. "Don't you think he wants his freedom?" York stood up fully now and started to move toward Jesse and Clark. Jeremy shook his head. He held York's shoulder from behind. "Let em. He's been itching to this ever since you took a kindness to both him and me." "But..." "I guess I don't want to lose him." "If he wants to remain friends, shouldn't it be his choice? N' maybe...maybe he'll remain friends but go n' try his own hand at sumthin else, sir." "You make some good points, young lad," Clark nodded. Lewis came to them. "What's he on about this time?" "The business of York." "Oh. That. Sum day I reckon we'll all be free," Lewis joked. "What's that supposed to mean?" Jesse asked as if he already knew the answer. He more than suspected Lewis was gay. "Yeah, what IS that supposed to mean?" Clark asked. "That people is people. Black or white. Negro or not. I don't agree with makin them folks beasts of burden." Lewis stated. "You surprise me, Cap'n," Jesse said, "I thought..." "What? That I'm a hard lined, evil man?" "Welllll..." Jesse tilted his head. "I take umbrage at this, young sir. I may have overseen a few slaves on my mother's plantation, I left that post because I never felt comfortable doing such a thing. If a man is to valet for me..." "As York seems to be doing for you..." Clark interrupted, "That's none of your concern...I bade York to assist Captain Lewis." "May it be as so but on this we do differ, good friend," Lewis shut his eyes. "...and I am more inclined toward this fine boy's attitude on the subject. A man ought to be paid fine wages for his duties and not be held as a bound property." Clark nodded. "I understand. There may come a fine day when such is forbidden but I take it that day is a long ways off. Until then, if my man does try to escape, here, I'll have him punished or worse...and elsewhere, I'd have him sold to a crueler master than I..." Lewis looked down. "Aye and they do exist." "Think about it. Think about what you've both just said," Jesse picked up a leaf and started to suck on it. "And for now that's all I'll say." He turned toward York and Jeremy. York mouthed, "Thank you." To Jesse. "I hope you don't get me in bigger trouble, young master." "I'm not your master." Jesse whispered. "Don't ever call me that." "By the way, what's a wigger?" Jeremy and Jesse tried but failed to suppress laughter. That night, when the rest of the man turned in and the guards surrounded the perimeter of the camp, Jesse and Jeremy rose up from their tent and moved to a log where the campfire was. "Couldn't sleep either?" "Naw." Jesse said. "I'm not brave, what's your excuse?" Jeremy smiled. "The Doc once told me that being brave isn't about being...well, not afraid...but being afraid and then doing what you have to anyway because you know it's right. Because you know it's what you need to do in order to survive or permit others to survive...those men...they're just doing what they were set out to do." "Savages. And they mock the Inju...India...Native Americans to be savages." "We can't put these men in the gutter...yes, they eat dogs and I hate that, too. Nor can we put the Natives on a pedestal. It might get us killed. Not all of them were...you know, honorable and as innocent as the politically correct present tries to make them out to be. No one is really." "Except the Doctor?" "Are you kidding? Is that Jesse McCartney talking?" "You know what I mean. He means well. He just...what about him? That shrinking bit?" "I don't know. But we have to get back to talking about these men. You can't let them detect fear, even if you are afraid..." "They soon as kill me even in a punch fest, which might just happen sooner or later if I disagree with them enough." "Don't disagree." "Is that all you can say? Sooner or later, they're gonna want me to show my tough. I mean I once backed down on a PUNK'D episode. I think any one of these guys could..." "Listen. Tomorrow morning we'll go the river early. I'll go over that self-defense stuff I showed you." Jesse made a face. "No, really. You were pretty good. It might come in handy here. We have to stand up to them..." Jeremy submitted. "You sorta already have. I'm just gonna have punch someone out once to prove myself. They like my singing and my Marco Polo..." Jesse touched his crotch. Jeremy looked from side to side to see if anyone were watching. "Jesse, this isn't a joke." "No, you're right and actually I'm sorry I'm being so flippant. Actually, I'm scared to death." "You won't be. I'll show you how to fight tomorrow. At least you'll know how to defend and then offend..." "Hon...buddy," Jesse corrected to Jeremy's content smiling, eyes shut face, "...I always knew how to offend. Say, what does happen to York, do you know?" "I think Clark does free him..." "Good, man." "...he does start his own business but not long afterward, he died of some disease, I think." "Oh, man. Did I just kill York?" "By seeing if Clark will set him free?" "Well, yeah? And did I set in motion a failed business...and York's eventual death?" "Naw, I don't think so. Time ran that way or would have run that way no matter. In fact, there are some accounts that York ran away, escaped and that Clark didn't free him at all. I don't think you caused anything..." "Gosh, I hope not. I hate to be responsible for...that." "If you did, oh," Jeremy cocked his head sideways, "...it'id just mean the end of time as we know it and untold damage to the multi verse...the end of everything. You just destroyed us all." "Very funny." "Just kidding." "I know." Jesse leaned in to kiss Jeremy on the lips, who pulled back. Jesse leaned back to his original position. "Well, there's a first time for everything." "All of that bravery talk, Jesse. It doesn't prevent us from having to be careful." "I know." "Hey, how come you know so much about Lewis and Clark anyway?" "Must be the Doctor in me." "I bet you wish the Doctor was in you right now." Jeremy laughed. Jesse was always quick with wit and a joke. "Yes. I once did a whole western project for my mum when I was home tutored. I guess I went a little overboard." "And now we're both overboard...overboard the TARDIS." "Lewis...he does get a servant but he pays the man. Later, the man commits suicide as Lewis once later tried himself. His death might have been one, too...some say it was murder but some..." "I get heavy strong gay vibes from him. I think he's in love with Clark, who might be intimate with York on some level." "I don't think York reciprocates," Jeremy added. "But the way he looks at me...I like it." "Hey, you. What happened about that be careful stuff?" "Jealous?" "You know better than that. We're all open, ain't we." "Sure but..." "But what?" "Jesse..." Jeremy smiled. "I'm glad...if I had to be stranded with someone...I'm glad it's you. I mean if...I'd rather you weren't stranded, too but..." "I know what you mean, hon..." He took a look at the where the other men had gone to sleep. The few guards were not watching the fire but the perimeter of the camp. The fire kept mosquitos away from the two time travelers but the nets were used over the sown up tents. The men had gone to sleep and no one seemed to stir. No watching, Jeremy moved his whole body closer to Jesse on the log and leaned in, putting his hands on Jesse's shoulders and finally moving one hand to the back of his lover's head. "Mmmmm," he tongue kissed Jesse who, at first didn't want to respond but who caved within seconds. "That good..." "June 3" "In the afternoon of June third Lewis took a short walk up the Osage and back before the party proceeded on to the night's camp at the mouth of the Moreau River." "June 4" The Lewis and Clark keelboat had a single mast and a footloose square sail. A heavy timber (the keel) ran down the center of the entire length of the bottom of the boat to absorb the shock of running into underwater obstructions, such as fallen trees, and to enable easier steering. The 55 foot Keel boat could be sailed, rowed, poled like a raft, or towed by ropes from the riverbank. One of the major advantages of the keelboat was that it was able to travel both upstream and for swiftly downstream. 55 feet long and 8 feet wide, with a 3- to 4-foot draft. For propulsion it had a 32-foot sailing mast, 22 oars, a rudder, and a tiller for steering. Protection against hostile encounters were a swivel cannon on the bow and two smaller guns called blunderbusses. The boat included a cabin and lockers for storage that also served as walkways for poling, and had a total carrying capacity of 12 to 14 tons. The captains' cabin was situated on the after deck and contained two bunk-beds, a bench, a desk and shelves for books and scientific instruments In addition to the Keel boat, two wooden row boats called Pirogues (flat-bottomed boats for hauling supplies on inland waters) were taken to hold men and supplies. The two pirogues were designed to lighten the load of the keel boat. The wind was strong that day and thus, the water more so. It was a bright, sunny day but the keelboat was difficult for the men to manage. "I think it...it's snagged on something!" Jesse yelled and took his shirt and pants off. He dove into the water and dove under it to look a log or foliage that may have snagged the keelboat. As the keelboat moved under a large tree, the water was stronger than the men poling. Lewis, from the captain's cabin yelled, "Move her out, move her out!" It was too late. The mast was broken-off by a tree branch overhanging the Missouri river. As Jesse surfaced, he shook his head but looked up and saw the huge mast heading straight for his head! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6XcQIZZ9SI NEXT TIME: WOLF OF ONE TAIL, CAT OF NINE TAILS, AND CONTACT IS MADE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwIhsS6Dc_4