The Fifty-Ninth Minute

With increasing regularity, the Earth was coming under threat by alien menaces other than the Decepticons. It made sense, the Autobot known as Pyro supposed; the planet was both out of the way and ideally located, depending on where you were coming from. Or which way you were going. The universe was funny like that.

Pyro, in the guise of a firetruck, regarded the man that climbed inside him. He had a rather strange face, but not the strangest they had on file. (Personally, his favorite was the "teeth and curls" look.) This was a new face, all flat and nose and long hair. And his clothes were strange. He had always had questionable fashion sense, but it had always leaned more towards the old-fashioned and less towards the... hm, "singed raggedy."

"Hello, Doctor," the Autobot said once they were rolling. Pyro increased his speed; they hadn't much time.

The man looked surprised for a moment. He glanced towards the passenger seat and the seats behind him to see if he had missed anyone, but he hadn't. He looked above, and then bellow the dashboard. He even checked inside the visor. "Oh, hello. You're a Cybertronian?"

"I prefer to think of myself as Autobot-British. Though most people call us 'Gee Two Transformers'. Built on Earth, you see. They gave me a proper birth certificate and everything. Being built's a lot like being born, I suppose. Sir Pyro Ignatius Spark, at your service. I don't mean to brag about the 'Sir' part, but I was only recently knighted for saving Queen Elizabeth's life and I just like the sound of 'Sir' affixed to my name. But I'm rambling, sorry. Next stop, Royal Leadworth Hospital. Hold on!"

Pyro swerved to avoid a blockage in traffic, driving onto an unused portion the cracked stone sidewalks to prevent any wonton property damage.

As he returned to the proper road, he shifted his attention back onto his passenger. The Doctor looked impressed. Pyro felt triumphant; he knew how hard it was to truly impress the Doctor. "How did you know?"

"It’s hard to describe, but I have the gift of temporal preemptive perception. I came here to Leadworth because I knew I would be here, and waited by that curb because I knew you would need a ride."

"Wibbly-"

"Yes. It has its drawbacks, you know. Surprise birthday parties are out. And I didn't know not to waste my time watching LOST unless I wasted my time watching it."

Pyro paused so the Doctor's phone could ring. The Doctor opened his mouth to say something, but then his phone rang and he had to answer it.

"Are you in?" the Doctor asked the person on the other line. His newest companion, perhaps? Foresight did not entail omniscience. "You need to get out of there. ... Amy? Amy, what's happening? Amy, talk to me!"

"Ask her which room she's in," Pyro advised even though he was already steering himself toward the room he knew they would be in and winching up his ladder.

"Which window are you?" the Doctor asked, even though he was still figuring out what to do. "Which window?"

Pyro hit his brakes. "Out."

"What?"

"Climb on to my ladder! I'll drive you the rest of the way. Come now, it's time for your stylish entrance." As much as he was enjoying this chance to meet his personal hero, they were running out of time. They didn't have much further to go, but the Doctor would never have made it on foot.

The funny man grinned. "Great minds think alike."

"So do temporal preceptors. Good luck, Doctor. It was an honor."

***

And so Pyro found himself waiting by a curb in the middle of a small town that was both out of the way and ideally located, eagerly awaiting the appearance of the man who would come and commandeer him. He adjusted his camouflage paint job to mimic those of the local fire engines. He kept his sensors on full alert, and when the man with two hearts approached, it was all Pyro could do to keep from shuddering. He activated his holoform driver and put up a token amount of resistance, of course, but it was all a show to get the man inside his cab and his foot on the petal.

"Hello, Doctor," he said once they were rolling.