Shake, Rattle and Roll

1977: Somewhere above Earth's atmosphere, aboard the Molovian spacecraft Attohr...

"So, Time Lord." The term was used mockingly by the Molovian captain, spoken through his helmet which acted as a filter to the outside environment. "You can guarantee that this will be successful?"

"But of course, Tagaz!" The Time Lord said enthusiastically. "I give you my word, my oath as a Time Lord."

"Explain to me again this plan of yours," ordered Captain Tagaz.

"I will create a world in which Elvis – an extremely popular musical performer on Earth – is still alive. Humans are drawn to his music, filling halls just to see him in person. You do your mind trick, enhancing his music to hypnotize the unsuspecting humans and ta daaa! Free test subjects."

"Hmm, let us hope your plan is as strong as your ego," Tagaz said with a laugh. "What is your name, Time Lord?"

The Time Lord bowed dramatically. "You may call me The Monk."

A beam shot down from the Attohr, delivering the Monk onto Earth's surface. He grinned. It had been some time since he had visited this planet. Clapping his hands in glee, he thought, This is going to be so much fun!

Las Vegas, 1978

The Doctor opened the TARDIS door. "Viva, Las Vegas."

"Why exactly are we here again?" asked Bill.

"Yes," intoned Nardole. "You're supposed to be guarding the vault."

"The vault, the vault. Always on about the vault. You really should get a hobby, Nardole," the Doctor answered dismissively. "Besides, look." He flashed the psychic paper at Bill and Nardole. It read;

"Please help me. I'm so scared."

"See. We got a message," the Doctor informed them brusquely. "Someone calls, I answer. It's what I do."

Bill took the psychic paper and studied it. She still found it hard to believe something like it existed. "So, who's it from then?"

"Don't know." The Doctor grinned at them and Nardole rolled his eyes. Ignoring him, the Doctor continued. "But whoever it is, they are terrified. Terrified enough for the psychic paper to pick up."

"Oh, I don't like the sound of that," whined Nardole. "Maybe we should just head back... or not," he added as the Doctor started to walk away.

"Come on. We're not going to solve anything standing around here all day."

They hadn't even walked a hundred metres before the Doctor noticed something odd. It was nearing dusk and flashing above them from the front of a large building called The Hilton was a sign, brightly announcing that Elvis Presley would be playing tonight.

"Wait a minute." Bill paused as she saw it too. "That can't be right. Aren't we in 1978? Elvis died in 1977."

"Apparently not." The Doctor grabbed a newspaper from a nearby stand. "And he's staying in the Flamingo Hotel."

"But, that's not possible," exclaimed Bill. "I mean, there was always the conspiracy theory that he didn't really die and faked his own death to go into hiding. So, even if he did that, why would he be doing a concert?"

The Doctor shook his head in exasperation. "It wasn't fake. Elvis died and that was that, end of story. No, something is wrong. Let's go and introduce ourselves, shall we? I think the King of Rock needs to meet Doctor Disco."

Bill guffawed violently. "Doctor Disco?"

"Yes. You got a problem with that?"

"No, no. No problem," replied Bill, trying to smother her laughter. "So, Elvis?"

"Elvis," the Doctor repeated.

"Let's go then, Doctor Disco." She looked at Nardole who just shrugged as if to say, 'don't ask me.'

The Doctor glared at them both. "This way," he grumbled. "Come on."

Flamingo Hotel

"Ah, Mr Presley?" One of Elvis' assistants knocked on his door.

Elvis looked up from his dinner; a dinner he hadn't been eating. "What is it, Brittany?"

"A Doctor is here to see you. He says your producers asked him to be on call for you during your stay here."

"Yes, that's me, hello." The Doctor came striding into the room before being invited, wearing his sonic sunglasses to secretly scan the room and the man sitting at the small table. He frowned at what he saw. The glasses were telling him that his DNA had been altered. He changed the setting to get a closer look. No, not altered, added to. There were extra strands that shouldn't be there. Right now, they were dormant, waiting for whatever trigger would activate them. The Doctor searched his expansive collection of knowledge. He was sure he had seen that specific DNA pattern before, a long time ago. Behind him he could vaguely hear Bill making pleasantries. He couldn't help wondering why humans saw so much point in being polite. It just wasted time.

"Look, I know you're just doing your job and I appreciate the concern but I'm fine. I know this is my first performance since the incident but I don't need baby-sitting," Elvis was saying.

The Doctor's ears perked up. "Incident? What incident?" This is more like it, he thought.

Elvis gave the Doctor a stunned look. "You didn't hear? Where have you been hiding?"

"Oh, a place very far away. You wouldn't have heard of it."

"The story went world-wide, Doctor. I was the main headline of every newspaper for months," Elvis informed them.

"Well, we were in Australia mostly. They don't have newspapers down there. It's all desert. Very remote. Now," the Doctor said to change the subject. "Why don't you tell us what happened?"

Elvis eyed them all doubtfully, his mind turning. Maybe it's a test, he wondered. Some sort of psycho-analysis to see how I react while telling the story. He took a deep breath and began to speak, his voice only a little shaky as he told them how he went missing six months ago and still has no idea where he was. The last thing he remembered was being in the bathroom when he got these sudden sharp pains in his chest. He assumed it was a heart attack and tried to reach the phone. Next thing he knew there was a man standing in front of him saying everything would be ok.

"I blacked out and woke up in my own bed to find out that three months had passed." He braced himself before he said the next words. "You won't believe me. You will probably say I'm crazy, just like everyone else but, I think I was abducted, you know, by aliens."

The Doctor shot Bill a meaningful look, raising his bushy eyebrows in delight. This is what he lived for. "Abduction, you say? I love a good abduction story."

Bill shook her head and grinned. He's like a kid in a candy store, she thought fondly. "What makes you think you were abducted?"

Elvis shifted in his seat. "Well, I dunno. It's just a feeling. Say, wait a minute, you folk are acting like you believe me."

"Oh, we do," confirmed the Doctor. "Alien abductions happen all the time, just not always on this planet."

"Please, then, can you help me? I don't feel right and honestly, I've been so scared since my... return."

"So you sent the message," surmised the Doctor.

Elvis frowned, confused. "What message?"

"Nothing, not important. Anyway, yes, we will help you."

"Well, thank you very much," Elvis shook their hands gratefully and Bill couldn't help her smile at Elvis's signature words. "I have to get ready but why do you all come to the show tonight at the Hilton and after, we can talk some more."

"We'll be there," promised Bill.

To be continued...