Luke and Sarah Jane are asleep in number 13 Bannerman Road and it’s 6:14 am, well at least Luke is. Sarah Jane usually fell asleep watching the stars but for some reason tonight she hadn’t been able to drift off to sleep. The milky morning sunlight was just about to start to seep through the curtains and she was reminiscing about her adventures she had had amongst those stars herself, with a most wonderful man, The Doctor. However now she was back to a normal life (if you could call it normal) full of electricity bills and supermarket shopping queues with a bang. She still saves the world when it needs to be defended from aliens from out of space, from the deepest corners of the galaxy or from the farthest nebula, and sometimes things from space can be the most amazing things and it proves just how wonderful the universe really is. It was whilst thinking about this that she saw a green flash soar across the sky. She sat up with a jolt and went up to the window pushing the duvet aside in her haste. However she could not be sure if she was suffering form a lack of sleep or just so deep in thought about her adventures. She looked out across the sleepy street of Bannerman Road, with its detached 1970’s houses and dimly lit street lamps, and she couldn’t see anything. She sighed and then thought to herself “besides some things don’t have explanations.” But she still wasn’t convinced. And with that Sarah Jane pulled her curtains shut, picked her duvet up off the floor and pulled the covers around her as she got back into bed. She drifted off to sleep as soon as her head touched the pillow and plunged into a dream.
“Morning” Luke said chirpily with a smile, walking into the kitchen the next morning. It was a quarter past eight and Sarah Jane was making breakfast. “Morning” Sarah Jane smiled. He sat down at the table and tucked in his chair. He picked up the newspaper placed flat down on the table, skimmed the front page and grinned. The headline read I’ve been aboard an alien spaceship! Sarah Jane laughed, “Some people will do anything to get twenty pounds from the real life column,” “well I dunno,” Luke replied, “with some of the things we’ve seen…” he trailed off and then added, “people will believe anything they see in the papers they’re giving aliens a bad name.” Sarah Jane smiled and placed two plates on the table, she found herself a seat opposite Luke and they picked up their forks and started eating. After breakfast Sarah Jane went up to the attic and wasn’t surprised that Luke was already there lying on the sofa making his way through a book, which for him, wasn’t hard. “Mr Smith, I need you” Sarah Jane called, Luke looked up from his book and Mr Smith made his usual grand entrance, wall opening like a curtain up in a theatre, smoke billowing and fanfare sounding his arrival. “Good Morning Sarah Jane” Mr Smith said calmly. “How may I be of assistance?” Well actually Mr Smith, I was hoping that you could scan this satellite image of the village of Selmarsh, apparently there seemed to be a strange light flash across the sky, which is what I thought I saw.” “Actually Sarah Jane I have been monitoring the area around the village of Selmarsh, and in the early hours of this morning I have recorded disturbances, my satellite sources have traced some sought of crater, however I cannot be sure of diameter or depth without sufficient data readings.” “Mr Smith, I think we need to pay this Selmarsh a visit, can you give me the coordinates.” “Certainly Sarah Jane” Mr Smith replied
Sarah Jane and Luke were about to get in the car when Rani waved from across the road and ran across. “Hi, Sarah Jane”, she chimed full of spirit. “Fancy coming for a drive”, Sarah Jane asked her. “Sure” she replied excitedly. She climbed into the back of the Nissan Figaro and Luke got in the front. Sarah Jane turned the key in the ignition, the car roared to life under the cloudy morning sky and they sped off out of the drive. On the way to Selmarsh they picked up Clyde and he clambered into the back with Rani. Luke explained to them both what was happening and why they were on their way to Selmarsh, “and mum thinks that she saw the flash last night and that it could be connected to the crater” Luke finished. “Oh no, not him”, Sarah Jane complained as Steve Write came on the radio, and she flicked off the switch so that there was silence. “Besides you never know,” Sarah Jane added, “there may even be a story in it!” They pulled up near the other side of the A310 and climbed out of the car. They found themselves near a forest and with no other way around had to trample through. “Is it me, or do you feel kind of anxious like there’s something else here” Clyde asked out loud. “No, I can feel it,” Rani replied. “Holey Moley!” Clyde cried he was at the front and had stopped walking forward; a clearing was now in full view. “What is that?” Rani breathed. “Well that’s the crater” Luke replied. Sarah Jane went to the front of the group and continued walking forward, ushering the three of them behind her. She took her sonic lipstick out of its case at the ready, just in case she needed it. The atmosphere was tense, and so it should have been even more if they new that they were being watched by more than just the birds flying overhead there were others here, they were not just being followed by their shadows. They were not alone.
They walked up to the edge of the crater and looked down inside of it. It could not have been more than five foot deep but it’s diameter must have been about six or seven metres. “Don’t get too close” Sarah Jane cautioned as she set about using her watch to scan the area. Her face suddenly turned cold, although there was no chill in the air. “Aliens” Luke asked. “Yes”, Sarah Jane nodded, and they’re close, she flipped down her watch. “I need to get these results to Mr Smith, quick, back to the car”, she ordered. However as soon as they had turned around on their heels, they gasped in horror.
Blocking the entrance to the forest were three huge figures, hungry and venomous, they were very tall, with long legs and talons, which looked like they could slice you in half with one swipe. “Who are you, and what do you want” Sarah Jane asked firmly. “We are Stalacs”, the tallest creature said, “I am Stalac Shraan and he stepped forward slightly, the four of them recoiled at his approach. He was obviously naming himself leader. “We are not here to harm you,” the Stalac Shraan said. “Our ship crashed; well I think you can see where for yourselves”. “Your ship did this?” Clyde said pointing at the crater. “Yes” the Stalac on Shraan’s left said, although he did not give his name. “Didn’t you ever pass a pilot’s test?” Clyde questioned. The two Stalacs behind Shraan snarled and he put both hands out to stop them. Sarah Jane looked at Clyde, and he didn’t feel like laughing at his one liner. “What do you want?” Sarah Jane questioned. “We just want to leave” Shraan said. “Hmm” Sarah Jane thought, she didn’t seem convinced. “Mum” Luke asked anxiously. “Well, if that’s all you want to do then we won’t try and stop you” Sarah Jane declared. They wandered back thought the forest warily of the Stalacs, which might be closing in behind them. Then Sarah Jane stopped suddenly. “Mum, I thought we were going back to the car” Luke questioned. “Yes well, I don’t know about you but I don’t trust them one bit.” “I don’t” Clyde said “I could smell it on them; well actually I could smell my old gym socks, but still…” Clyde trailed off. “Can you hear drilling?” Luke asked. “Yeah, I can” Rani replied. They took a different path to the way that they had come and followed the drilling sound. They turned a corner and could see the three Stalacs using machinery, for which looked like drilling into the ground. They had to hide behind trees to make sure that they didn’t come into the Stalacs view. They overheard the aliens talking about their plan, which from what they could hear was to do with drilling to the Earths crust to harness energy. “How were they going to do that inconspicuously?” Luke thought to himself. “We’ve got to stop them” Clyde whispered to the rest of the gang, “they’re stealing the Earth’s energy”. They knew they had to do something, and fast before it was too late, but what…? Sarah Jane thought to herself “what would the Doctor do?” She had to act fast. She took out her sonic lipstick once again and connected to the electricity control system which worked to reverse the power of the alien energy extractor, with help from Luke. The Earth’s electricity grid groaned as it tried to surge past the alien power. Suddenly with a huge bang, the aliens didn’t know what had hit them; the power from the pylons surged and exploded the energy extractor. The Stalacs shocked and stunned, retreated to their spaceship. They shouted back at Sarah Jane and the gang who had now come into view, “how could you humans stop us, you are only a level five planet, how do you have this technology?” “Well don’t underestimate humans; we will be here next time protecting Earth so remember that.” Sarah Jane smiled. And with that The Stalacs ashamed at their failure, zoomed off across the sky and out of view. “Do you think they will be back?” Rani asked. “Oh I suppose so” Sarah Jane laughed. “Come on let’s go home.”
Back in the attic of 13 Bannerman Road Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde and Rani were talking to Mr Smith. He had just finished a press release telling the public that the crater was nothing more than a controlled explosion, of a WW2 bomb. “Anyway, Clyde said, “I’d best be off.” “Well we saved the world, again” Rani added. “Well that’s the life we lead” Sarah Jane replied matter of factly. It was getting dark and the stars were shining overhead, and in the distance far away by now a spaceship was disappearing, and the Earth was no longer in danger…for now!
“Morning” Luke said chirpily with a smile, walking into the kitchen the next morning. It was a quarter past eight and Sarah Jane was making breakfast. “Morning” Sarah Jane smiled. He sat down at the table and tucked in his chair. He picked up the newspaper placed flat down on the table, skimmed the front page and grinned. The headline read I’ve been aboard an alien spaceship! Sarah Jane laughed, “Some people will do anything to get twenty pounds from the real life column,” “well I dunno,” Luke replied, “with some of the things we’ve seen…” he trailed off and then added, “people will believe anything they see in the papers they’re giving aliens a bad name.” Sarah Jane smiled and placed two plates on the table, she found herself a seat opposite Luke and they picked up their forks and started eating. After breakfast Sarah Jane went up to the attic and wasn’t surprised that Luke was already there lying on the sofa making his way through a book, which for him, wasn’t hard. “Mr Smith, I need you” Sarah Jane called, Luke looked up from his book and Mr Smith made his usual grand entrance, wall opening like a curtain up in a theatre, smoke billowing and fanfare sounding his arrival. “Good Morning Sarah Jane” Mr Smith said calmly. “How may I be of assistance?” Well actually Mr Smith, I was hoping that you could scan this satellite image of the village of Selmarsh, apparently there seemed to be a strange light flash across the sky, which is what I thought I saw.” “Actually Sarah Jane I have been monitoring the area around the village of Selmarsh, and in the early hours of this morning I have recorded disturbances, my satellite sources have traced some sought of crater, however I cannot be sure of diameter or depth without sufficient data readings.” “Mr Smith, I think we need to pay this Selmarsh a visit, can you give me the coordinates.” “Certainly Sarah Jane” Mr Smith replied
Sarah Jane and Luke were about to get in the car when Rani waved from across the road and ran across. “Hi, Sarah Jane”, she chimed full of spirit. “Fancy coming for a drive”, Sarah Jane asked her. “Sure” she replied excitedly. She climbed into the back of the Nissan Figaro and Luke got in the front. Sarah Jane turned the key in the ignition, the car roared to life under the cloudy morning sky and they sped off out of the drive. On the way to Selmarsh they picked up Clyde and he clambered into the back with Rani. Luke explained to them both what was happening and why they were on their way to Selmarsh, “and mum thinks that she saw the flash last night and that it could be connected to the crater” Luke finished. “Oh no, not him”, Sarah Jane complained as Steve Write came on the radio, and she flicked off the switch so that there was silence. “Besides you never know,” Sarah Jane added, “there may even be a story in it!” They pulled up near the other side of the A310 and climbed out of the car. They found themselves near a forest and with no other way around had to trample through. “Is it me, or do you feel kind of anxious like there’s something else here” Clyde asked out loud. “No, I can feel it,” Rani replied. “Holey Moley!” Clyde cried he was at the front and had stopped walking forward; a clearing was now in full view. “What is that?” Rani breathed. “Well that’s the crater” Luke replied. Sarah Jane went to the front of the group and continued walking forward, ushering the three of them behind her. She took her sonic lipstick out of its case at the ready, just in case she needed it. The atmosphere was tense, and so it should have been even more if they new that they were being watched by more than just the birds flying overhead there were others here, they were not just being followed by their shadows. They were not alone.
They walked up to the edge of the crater and looked down inside of it. It could not have been more than five foot deep but it’s diameter must have been about six or seven metres. “Don’t get too close” Sarah Jane cautioned as she set about using her watch to scan the area. Her face suddenly turned cold, although there was no chill in the air. “Aliens” Luke asked. “Yes”, Sarah Jane nodded, and they’re close, she flipped down her watch. “I need to get these results to Mr Smith, quick, back to the car”, she ordered. However as soon as they had turned around on their heels, they gasped in horror.
Blocking the entrance to the forest were three huge figures, hungry and venomous, they were very tall, with long legs and talons, which looked like they could slice you in half with one swipe. “Who are you, and what do you want” Sarah Jane asked firmly. “We are Stalacs”, the tallest creature said, “I am Stalac Shraan and he stepped forward slightly, the four of them recoiled at his approach. He was obviously naming himself leader. “We are not here to harm you,” the Stalac Shraan said. “Our ship crashed; well I think you can see where for yourselves”. “Your ship did this?” Clyde said pointing at the crater. “Yes” the Stalac on Shraan’s left said, although he did not give his name. “Didn’t you ever pass a pilot’s test?” Clyde questioned. The two Stalacs behind Shraan snarled and he put both hands out to stop them. Sarah Jane looked at Clyde, and he didn’t feel like laughing at his one liner. “What do you want?” Sarah Jane questioned. “We just want to leave” Shraan said. “Hmm” Sarah Jane thought, she didn’t seem convinced. “Mum” Luke asked anxiously. “Well, if that’s all you want to do then we won’t try and stop you” Sarah Jane declared. They wandered back thought the forest warily of the Stalacs, which might be closing in behind them. Then Sarah Jane stopped suddenly. “Mum, I thought we were going back to the car” Luke questioned. “Yes well, I don’t know about you but I don’t trust them one bit.” “I don’t” Clyde said “I could smell it on them; well actually I could smell my old gym socks, but still…” Clyde trailed off. “Can you hear drilling?” Luke asked. “Yeah, I can” Rani replied. They took a different path to the way that they had come and followed the drilling sound. They turned a corner and could see the three Stalacs using machinery, for which looked like drilling into the ground. They had to hide behind trees to make sure that they didn’t come into the Stalacs view. They overheard the aliens talking about their plan, which from what they could hear was to do with drilling to the Earths crust to harness energy. “How were they going to do that inconspicuously?” Luke thought to himself. “We’ve got to stop them” Clyde whispered to the rest of the gang, “they’re stealing the Earth’s energy”. They knew they had to do something, and fast before it was too late, but what…? Sarah Jane thought to herself “what would the Doctor do?” She had to act fast. She took out her sonic lipstick once again and connected to the electricity control system which worked to reverse the power of the alien energy extractor, with help from Luke. The Earth’s electricity grid groaned as it tried to surge past the alien power. Suddenly with a huge bang, the aliens didn’t know what had hit them; the power from the pylons surged and exploded the energy extractor. The Stalacs shocked and stunned, retreated to their spaceship. They shouted back at Sarah Jane and the gang who had now come into view, “how could you humans stop us, you are only a level five planet, how do you have this technology?” “Well don’t underestimate humans; we will be here next time protecting Earth so remember that.” Sarah Jane smiled. And with that The Stalacs ashamed at their failure, zoomed off across the sky and out of view. “Do you think they will be back?” Rani asked. “Oh I suppose so” Sarah Jane laughed. “Come on let’s go home.”
Back in the attic of 13 Bannerman Road Sarah Jane, Luke, Clyde and Rani were talking to Mr Smith. He had just finished a press release telling the public that the crater was nothing more than a controlled explosion, of a WW2 bomb. “Anyway, Clyde said, “I’d best be off.” “Well we saved the world, again” Rani added. “Well that’s the life we lead” Sarah Jane replied matter of factly. It was getting dark and the stars were shining overhead, and in the distance far away by now a spaceship was disappearing, and the Earth was no longer in danger…for now!
Entry 8
A good, solid short adventure for a recognisable Sarah Jane and gang. Well framed with an optimistic start and finish. A few grammatical
slip-ups, but Mr Smith's cover-up was a highlight!
slip-ups, but Mr Smith's cover-up was a highlight!
This story captures the sense of wonder at the universe that’s so important to The Sarah Jane Adventures, and I love the deviousness of the Stalacs.
It's nice to read an SJA fanfic that doesn't jump straight into the dialogue, but takes some time to set the scene beforehand. You've got Sarah Jane spot-on.The story shows the gang at their Scooby Doo-best! Good, solid, intelligent writing. Bravo!