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- For the human the Auton was based on, see Rory Williams
Rory Williams was an Auton-based duplicate of the Doctor's companion Rory Williams, who had been killed by a Silurian and then erased from history by the Time Field emanating from the cracks in space and time. (DW: Cold Blood)
Profile
The Auton that took the form of Rory Williams was created as part of a plan by an Alliance of races that had united to prevent the Doctor from destroying the universe. This alliance included the Nestene Consciousness, creators of the living plastic creatures known as Autons.
Utilizing psychic residue obtained from the home of the Doctor's companion Amy Pond - including a children's book on Roman soldiers and a photograph of Amy and her fiance Rory Williams taken at a costume party (at which Rory wore a Roman soldier costume) - the Nestene Consciousness created a faux Roman army, including a replicant of Rory Williams, and placed them near Stonehenge in the year 102 AD as part of an elaborate trap for the Doctor.
While the Auton Roman soldiers believed they were, indeed, Romans -- and were even susceptible to River Song's hallucinogenic lipstick -- the Auton version of Rory retained the memories and personality of the real Rory, and initially Auton Rory dismissed his other life as a dream.
When news came to the Roman encampment of strange visitors, Auton Rory decided to volunteer to help, which led him to encounter both the Doctor and Amy, saving the latter by destroying a Cyberman with his sword, though Amy was knocked unconscious. The Doctor initially did not recognise him as Rory, referring to him as 'Sword Man', but eventually welcomed him back after an awkward reunion, though how Rory still existed was a mystery - as the Doctor was not aware of the Auton connection as yet.
As Auton Rory assisted the Doctor, he learned that he had been erased from time, and from Amy's memory, when she did not recognize him after regaining consciousness. Encouraged by the Doctor - who gave him back the engagement ring that Rory had given Amy before his "death" - Auton Rory set out to try and make Amy remember him. His efforts were successful, as Amy's memories began to return. However, soon Rory's Auton nature briefly reasserted itself as the Alliance's trap began to close around the Doctor. Rory attempted to resist the Nestene orders while the other "Romans" came under its control. He urged Amy to run, but she refused. Just as she hugged him, the Auton programming activated and the duplicate Rory's hand opened up into a blaster which shot Amy, seemingly killing her. (DW: The Pandorica Opens)
As Auton Rory wept over the body of Amy, the Doctor suddenly appeared in front of him, informing him that Amy wasn't quite dead and instructing him (after a couple of interruptions) to open the Pandorica using the sonic screwdriver and rescue the Doctor's earlier self. Rory followed the Doctor's instructions, which led to a reunion with a somewhat bewildered Doctor. In hopes of saving Amy, the Doctor placed his companion in the Pandorica, where her life functions would be restored, though she would be in there for close to 1,900 years. The Doctor, using a time vortex manipulator, offered to take Auton Rory to retrieve Amy in the future, but Rory refused, stating that he had to make sure no harm came to the Pandorica. The Doctor admired Rory's humanity, Auton or no, and left him to his duty.
Rory watched over Amy for nearly two thousand years, following the box wherever it went and becoming the stuff of legend as the 'The Lone Centurion' - a mysterious figure dressed as a Roman soldier who stood guard over the Pandorica. During the London Blitz of 1941, Rory was spotted moving the Pandorica out of harm's way during a bombing, but after that the Lone Centurion disappeared from history and was believed killed or destroyed. In reality, Rory continued to look after the Pandorica in other ways, and by 1996 was working as a security guard in the National Museum, where the Pandorica was on display.
After a younger version of Amelia Pond freed her older self, and the Doctor arrived from the past, the group was immediately attacked by a Stone Dalek from Stonehenge that coincidentally had been put on display with the Pandorica and had been restored by the Pandorica's energy. Rory rescued them by shooting the Dalek with his hand-laser.
A tearful and romantic reunion with Amy followed, but the Doctor pulled them away in order to rescue River Song from a time loop within the exploding TARDIS, but not before Auton Rory informed the Doctor about his earlier encounter with the "future Doctor", which led to the Doctor taking care of old business.
The Auton Rory continued to express his innate humanity as the Doctor encountered another future Doctor, this one apparently deceased, though this was later discovered to be a ruse. Ultimately, the Doctor was able to pilot the Pandorica into the heart of the exploding TARDIS, which restored the universe, but in the process rewrote aspects of history. The Doctor, for one, was removed from history. And with him removed from history, the Auton version of Rory was likewise removed from history as the original, human Rory was restored, his death having never occurred.
Despite the fact the Auton Rory never existed, elements of his memory remained within the human Rory. After Amy was successful in restoring the Doctor and the TARDIS through her own memories, Rory likewise remembered having been an Auton, uttering "I was plastic!" at one point. Also, the Doctor himself considered the human Rory to be a continuation of Auton Rory, privately admiring Rory's devotion to Amy over 2,000 years, dubbing him "The Boy Who Waited". (DW: The Big Bang)
- Aside from remembering he was plastic, it remains to be seen whether the human Rory retains any specific memories of the Auton replicant over its nearly 1,900-year existence.
Behind the scenes
- The special circumstances surrounding Auton Rory have led to some fans considering him a separate companion. If so, it is a matter of debate whether Auton Rory should be considered a deceased companion as he technically no longer exists, even though at least some memories live on in the human Rory.