Echoes (ST short story)

Echoes was the second short story in the Short Trips anthology Short Trips: The Centenarian. It was written by Gary Russell. It featured the Third Doctor.

Summary
Peggy and her family are staying at the Grainger house for Christmas. While she is enjoying a snack in the kitchen, she is summoned to join her mother in the drawing room. On the way, she encounters a stranger in the house who calls himself the Doctor. He says he's here to see Helen Fitzmaurice, the orphaned niece of Lawrence Grainger. A five-year-old Edward Grainger joins them, after having opened a cupboard to reveal a blue police box from which he says he saw the Doctor emerge.

The Doctor is confronted by Lawrence and his house guests. Lawrence sends the butler, Peake, for the police. The Doctor drops a few names and goes to Helen's room, locking it behind him. As the adults disperse, Peggy and Eddie go to Helen's room. The Doctor lets them in.

Helen is sitting on her bed, but she seems to see something that isn't there. While the Doctor investigates the room, Peggy talks to Helen. Helen tells about her friend, Ahnji, that no one else can see. Because of him, the adults think she is unbalanced. She describes Ahnji, and the Doctor deduces that he is an alien. He tells Peggy of his conclusions, that Ahnji's people exist as sound waves, and that his people have been trapped in one of Helen's graphaphone records. The Doctor is impressed by Peggy's ability to understand what he is saying.

The Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to play the record backwards. This frees Ahnji's people, and he wishes Helen one last goodbye before he and his people leave.

The Doctor gives Eddie the record to smash and throw away. He gives Peggy the task of being a sensible friend to Helen.

Characters

 * Third Doctor
 * Edward Grainger
 * Peggy
 * Lawrence Grainger
 * Helen Fitzmaurice
 * Ahnji
 * Mr Peake
 * Mrs Best
 * Alice

Worldbuilding

 * Peggy reads Jules Verne.
 * The Doctor mentions Jo.
 * Mrs Best makes a plum pudding for Christmas.
 * Mr Grainger works for Dickie Bellamy.
 * Peggy's mother Louisa Pollard is pregnant. The child will be the Eighth Doctor's companion Charlotte Pollard, who was born on 15 April 1912.

Continuity

 * Peggy knows something happened to Violet, though no one will tell her what. (PROSE: Prologue, Forgotten)