t never ceased to amaze Ace the variety of different times and places that the TARDIS brought her and the Doctor to. This time was no exception. She and the Doctor were currently trudging through the wet, muddy field for no apparent reason. Ace was cold, fed up and lagging behind the Doctor.
'Professor!' Ace called, 'Hang on!'
The Doctor stopped, turned around and motioned for his young companion to catch up. Ace quickened her pace until she had reached him.
'Professor, what are you doing here?' she asked, panting to catch her breath. 'Where are we anyway? And why?'
The Doctor sighed. 'Questions, questions, Ace. We are here to see an event that I have been meaning to see for a long time. We need a change from fighting evil don't you think?'
'So, where and when are we?'
'You'll be pleased to know that we're in your home country,' the Doctor elaborated, pointing at her with his umbrella.
It was Ace's turn to sigh. 'Not again...' she said disappointedly. 'There are millions of their planets out there you know, Professor!'
'Hmmm...oh, we are in 1825 by the way.'
Ace sighed even more deeply. 'Oh no, not history. I hate history - it's so boring. I had enough of it when I was in school.' Ace felt a lecture coming on even as she said these words.
She was right.
'History isn't boring, Ace, and it's not history to the people living here...' He broke off, remembering something. 'Ah yes...I was forgetting that you were a scientist. Very wise.'
The field seemed to be getting muddier by the minute, and the Doctor was eager to get on with whatever he wanted to get on with. Setting off at a brisk pace, the Doctor seemed to be yards ahead of Ace within seconds.
'Come along, Ace,' he urged. Ace followed - slowly.
Not long after, they were both a little further on: still getting wet and still getting muddy. 'We are in Darlington, County Durham, Ace,' explained the Doctor. 'And today is a very important day.'
'What's so special about 1820's Darlington then?' Ace queried.
Sometimes the Doctor could not believe his human companion. 'You know, Ace, I'm amazed by your lack of knowledge about your won world. You should at least have been taught about this day at school'
'What day, Professor?' urged Ace, wishing for once that she was back in the TARDIS.
The Doctor continued: 'Railways of course! Quite possibly Britain's greatest ever contributions to civilization. Today is the day that the railways really began, and you should know that!' He wished that for once, all of the explaining was not to him. 'Today signifies the beginning of one of Earth's greatest ever inventions.' ( The Doctor was in his element, Ace decided.) 'And,' he continued, 'the first conquest of space.'
'Conquest of space? Come on, Professor!' Ace said scornfully.
Think about it, Ace; how far could you get in a day before railways? Not very far. From these humble beginnings will emerge the greatest human engineering achievement since the building of the pyramids.'
Ace found this difficult to believe, considering the state that the rail network was in, in her own time. 'So we've come to see the first train then?'
'Yes, yes, Ace. Do come along or we'll miss it.' the Doctor answered.
'Sounds fascinating,' she said dourly.
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The First Trainspotters
