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- For the human the Auton was based on, see Rory Williams
Rory Williams, also known as "The Lone Centurion" was an Auton copy of the Eleventh Doctor's companion Rory Williams, who had been killed by the Silurian Restac and then erased from history by the Time Field emanating from the cracks in space and time.
Biography
The Pandorica Trap
The Auton that took the form of Rory Williams was created as part of a plan by an alliance of races who had united to prevent the Eleventh Doctor from destroying the universe. This alliance included the Nestene Consciousness, creator of the living plastic creatures known as Autons.
They used psychic residue obtained from the home of the Doctor's companion, Amy Pond, including a children's book on Roman centurions and a photograph of Amy and her fiancé Rory Williams taken at a costume party; Rory had worn a Roman centurion costume. The Nestene Consciousness created a faux Roman army, including a replicant of Rory Williams. It 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, the Auton version of Rory retained the memories and personality of the real Rory, initially dismissing his other life as a dream.
When news came to the Roman encampment of strange visitors, Auton Rory volunteered to help, which led him to encounter the Doctor and Amy, saving the latter by destroying a Cyberman, though Amy was knocked unconscious. The Doctor initially did not recognise him, but welcomed him back, though how Rory still existed was a mystery - as the Doctor was not aware of the Auton connection as yet.
As he assisted the Doctor, Auton Rory learned he had been erased from time and Amy's memory, when she did not recognise him after regaining consciousness. Encouraged by the Doctor - who returned the engagement ring that Rory had given Amy before his death - Auton Rory set out to make her remember him. His efforts were successful. Amy's memories began to return. However, 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. As she hugged him, the Auton programming activated and the duplicate Rory's hand opened up into a blaster, which shot Amy. (DW: The Pandorica Opens)
Redemption
The other Autons, along with the rest of the universe apart from Earth, were erased as a result of the Total Event Collapse. As Auton Rory wept over Amy, the Doctor suddenly appeared in front of him, informing him Amy wasn't quite dead and instructing him to open the Pandorica with the sonic screwdriver and rescue the Doctor's earlier self. A bewildered Rory followed the instructions, which led to a reunion with a bewildered Doctor. Because most of the universe had been erased and the Nestenes were now non-existent, Rory's mind was fully restored and he was now in full control of his actions.
To save Amy, the Doctor placed her in the Pandorica, where her life functions would be restored, though she would be in there for close to two thousand 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 not, 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 Lone Centurion' - a mysterious figure dressed as a Roman soldier who stood guard over the Pandorica. (DW: The Big Bang)
Guarding 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. (DW: The Big Bang)
Undercover
In reality, Rory continued to look after the Pandorica in other ways. By 1996 he 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 attacked by a Stone Dalek from Stonehenge on display at the museum that had been restored by the Pandorica's energy. Rory rescued them by shooting the Dalek with his hand-laser.
After a tearful reunion with Amy, the Doctor pulled them away to rescue River Song. Before that, Auton Rory informed the Doctor about his earlier encounter with the "future Doctor", which led to the Doctor taking care of old business. Ultimately, the Doctor piloted 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 reality. Wth him removed, the Auton version of Rory was likewise removed from history, The original, human Rory was restored, his death having never occurred. (DW: The Big Bang)
Legacy
Despite the fact that the Auton Rory now never existed, elements of his memory remained within the human Rory. After Amy restored the Doctor and the TARDIS through her own memories, Rory likewise remembered having been an Auton, saying "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 two millennia, calling him "The Boy Who Waited". (DW: The Big Bang)
The real Rory somehow obtained his Roman armour from this incarnation or wore costume armour and used it during his Christmas adventure. (DW: A Christmas Carol)
The real Rory had the memories of the Auton version of himself. When the Doctor said that he was at Rome when the empire fell, Rory replied "So was I." Rory told the Doctor he could remember being the Lone Centurion but he didn't always; it was like a "door" in his mind and he tried not to think about it. (DW: Day of the Moon)
At the Doctor's insistance, Rory wore the armour again while on a mission to rescue Amy and their infant daughter Melody from Madame Kovarian and the Headless Monks. (DW: A Good Man Goes to War)
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. However, he can also be considered the same entity as the human Rory, as the Doctor stated that Rory's actual mind and soul were copied by the Alliance because Auton Rory was made from Amy's memories and Amy's mind had been affected by the Time Field crack in her bedroom wall.
- An Auton duplicate of Mickey Smith was also made. This makes Rory the second male companion (and the second boyfriend of a companion) to be turned into an Auton. (DW: Rose)
- Auton Rory is the second duplicate of a companion to be created based on the memories of another; during the novel Interference, the Eighth Doctor's companion Fitz Kreiner was abducted and apparently killed by Faction Paradox. The Doctor eventually 'replaced' him with Kode, a biomass duplicate created from others' memories of the original Fitz, as he assumed that the original Fitz had died, 'perfecting' the duplicate by allowing him to be shaped by the Doctor and the TARDIS's own 'perceptions' of Fitz.
- The Brilliant Book 2011 contains a deeper non-narrative based history of Rory. It states;
- At some point, Rory had farmers remove the Pandorica for a nobleman from the Roman town of Isca. In preparing for the journey, Rory wrote "FRAGILE" and "THIS WAY UP" on the Pandorica. Rory would later assist King Harold in the Battle of Hastings during the Norman conquest of England, evidently as his top general. Rory would befriend Samuel Pepys. During the Great Fire of London, Rory saved the infant daughter of Pepys's baker. Afterward, Rory bid farewell to Pepys and travelled to the city.
- During the 19th century, Rory become the inspiration for political cartoonists.
- In 1934, Rory released many leaflets that showed him and Adolf Hitler with the message "DON'T LISTEN TO HITLER. HE'S RUBBISH".
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