Untold Knowledge (Doctor Who x Genius Fem! Oc) [Book 1]

Chapter 84: Daleks in Manhattan

"Where are we?" Martha asked in wonder as she stepped out of the Tardis. Waiting for them in all its glory was the original New York in America.

The Doctor's smile grew as they felt the cool wind swell around them. "Ah, smell that Atlantic breeze. Nice and cold. Lovely. Martha, have you met our friend?"

When she turned around and look up, the sight was unbelievable. In all her majesty stood the massive statue representing her liberty enlightening the world. "Is that--? Oh, my God. That's the Statue of Liberty!" Martha said with intense awe and feeling thoroughly impressed.

"Gateway to the New World. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free." he quoted, keeping his eyes on the unfinished city with pride for the humans achievements.

Echo took a deep breath of the moist salty sea air, unable to keep her own smile from forming. "That's so brilliant." Martha said joyously. "I've always wanted to go to New York. I mean, the real New York. Not the new, new, new, new, new, new one."

"Well, there's the genuine article." the Doctor said as he took his love's hand into his. "So good, they named it twice. Mind you, it was New Amsterdam originally. Harder to say twice. No wonder it didn't catch on. New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam." he mused.

With a nod, Echo shrugged. "I didn't like it either. N.A., N.A. Ridiculous." she commented, taking in the view of the magnificent city beyond. The Doctor chuckled and his her temple gently.

Martha then noticed something subtle, yet obvious. "Look, the Empire State Building's not even finished yet. What year is it?" she asked, intensely eager to learn as much as she was capable of.

"Going on the fact of how many floors they have left to build, my guess would be either late twenties to early thirties." Echo answered, not wanting to look at her watch. It had been a game she'd play for over sixty or so years.

"About eighty years ago. It's funny, because you see all those old newsreels all in black and white like it's so far away. But here we are. It's real. It's now. Where should we go first?" Martha quickly asked with excitement.

Echo then picked up a newspaper from a nearby bench. "Looks like trouble's afoot." she said as she showed them the front page.

'Hooverville Mystery Deepens'

"What's Hooverville?" Martha wondered with confusion flourishing within her.

Without a second thought, Echo pulled out her portal gun and typed in the desired coordinates. "Let's go find out." she said with a mischievous smile.

After they came to the outskirts of Central Park, the travelling trio walked further into the peaceful trees. "Herbert Hoover, thirty first president of the United States. Came to power a year ago. Up till then, New York was a boom town; the Roaring Twenties, then--"

"The Wall Street Crash, yeah?" Martha then cut him off. "When was that? 1929?"

"Yep." Echo replied. "The entire economy was practically obliterated overnight. Quite the way to start a decade."

"Thousands of people, unemployed. All of a sudden, the huddled masses doubled in number with nowhere to go. So, they ended up here in Central Park." the Doctor explained further as they neared the rundown community.

Martha looked at them in disbelief. "What, they actually live in the park? In the middle of the city?"

As they entered and slowly walked through the shanty community, the air was heavy with sadness and desperation. "Ordinary people lost their jobs. Couldn't pay the rent and they lost everything." Echo frowned, knowing exactly what these homeless people were experiencing. "There are places like this all over America. No one's helping them. You only come to Hooverville when there's nowhere else to go."