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Greetings! Welcome to the index to this drabble set.Changes in AO3’s maximum number of tags mean I’ve had to move the story names out of the tags and into this index. See below for what’s included to date: Chapter 2 - Serial: s030 The Power of the Daleks Chapter 3 - Audio 10.01: The Mouthless Death Chapter 8 - Audio 02.01: The Yes Men Chapter 14 - Audio 02.02: The Forsaken Chapter 17 - Audio 04.01: The Night Witches Chapter 19 - Audio 04.02: The Outliers Chapter 21 - Audio 04.03: The Morton Legacy Chapter 25 - Inktober 2018 Chapter 26 - Audio 06.01: The Home Guard Chapter 40 - Audio 02.02: The Way Forwards Chapter 41 - Audio 10.02: The Story of Extinction Chapter 51 - Audio 09.04: Year of the Rex Olympics Chapter 54 - Serial: s041 The Web of Fear Chapter 57 - Serial: s140 The Two Doctors Chapter 59 - Serial: s043 The Wheel in Space Chapter 60 - Serial: s046 The Invasion Chapter 64 - Audio 2: Shadow of Death Chapter 65 - Inktober 2018 Chapter 66 - Audio 10.03: The Integral Chapter 69 - Audio 04.04: The Wreck of the World Chapter 73 - Audio 10.04: The EdgeChapter 76 - Audio 02.04: The Tactics of DefeatChapter 81 - Audio 01.02: A Stain of Red in the Sand
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“Pol? You awake?”Polly peered across the dimly lit room. “What’s wrong, Ben? Can’t you sleep?”“How can I? Between the Doctor…changing and acting all peculiar and these Dalek things, how could anyone?”“Don’t worry, the Doctor will figure it out. He always does.”“If it is him. And anyway, if you’re so sure of that why are you awake?”“Because this couch is hard.” She wiggled, trying to find a comfortable spot.Ben smiled. “You’d never make it in the navy, Duchess.” “Do you mind?” The Doctor’s voice was dryly polite. “Some of us are trying to sleep.”
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Polly shifted in her seat. The signal box was hot and the signalman’s conversation bordered on macabre. Discussions of train wrecks might be the Doctor’s cup of tea, but they certainly weren't Polly’s. “…of course, the drivers make mistakes as well,” the signalman continued, oblivious to her discomfort, “I could tell you some tales about signals-”“Actually,” Polly interrupted, not impolitely, “if I could step outside and get a breath of air?” She met Ben’s eyes. “It’s getting a little stuffy in here.”He took her meaning instantly. “Yeah, I’ll come with you, Pol.” “Ach, me too,” Jamie chimed in.
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“I wouldn’t worry,” the young woman’s eyes were red from crying, “what’s the point of being frighted when one doesn’t care if one lives or dies?”“I’m sorry to hear that.” Taking her hand, Polly led the woman to one of the benches. “Would it help to talk?” She gave Ben and Jamie a look, but this time neither of them picked up on it.“Sure thing,” Ben agreed, “maybe we can help?”The woman’s hands trembled. “Can you reverse death?”“Ummm, no-” He finally caught Polly’s nod towards the door. “Come on Jamie, let’s give the girls some space.”
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Ben approached the tunnel, eyes squinting to make out details in the darkness. “Ben,” Jamie called, an uncharacteristic nervousness in his voice. “I wouldn’t get too close!” “Don’t worry, I reckon this is close enough.” Ben cupped his hands and yelled, “Do you need any help, mate?” Now he could make out several shapes shuffling forward. “Struth! There’s a whole crowd of them in there. They’re coming out-”The humanoid shapes stepped into light from the station and Ben gasped. Their skin was charred and the remains of sailors’ uniforms hung limply from their desiccated forms. They were all dead.
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Polly backed up as the shadowy, humanoid shapes crept toward them. “Frances,” she reached out to grab hold of the woman’s hand, “we may need to run. I don’t think these…whatever they are, are anything we want getting close to us.” Frances wasn’t looking at the men. She only had eyes for the train. The signal light near them changed from red to green and the train released a puff of steam. “He’s leaving,” Frances whispered. Letting go of Polly’s hand, she scrambled onboard the open train car.“Frances! No!” Left with no other choice, Polly ran after her.
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They crept through the army of the dead, Thomas leading followed by Ben, Jamie, and the Doctor. Each had his hand on the next person’s shoulder and Ben and Jamie had their eyes closed as the Doctor had instructed. As the group shuffled toward the stopped train, the mist-like corpses parted for them. The Doctor tried to focus on Jamie’s broad shoulders, but he couldn’t resist looking at them. Katarina stared back. Behind her, Bret Vyon and Sara Kingdom walked quietly, keeping pace with him. The Doctor quickly shut his eyes and focused on not giving in to the grief.
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“Doctor?” Polly ran after him. “Where are we going?”“To get some answers-““How?” Ben shrugged. “That CIB place was locked, the robot at the cemetery wasn’t helpful, and we’ve seen no one else to ask.““Why would a computer system ever render three different causes of death for the same person?” The Doctor stopped so suddenly Jamie almost ran into him. “Everything’s changed since they’ve rebuilt the city, but I think what we want is this direction.” Turning to his right, he ran off again. “Come along! It’s not far.” The others exchanged weary looks but dutifully followed him.
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“Dispose of us?” Jamie backed away. “What do they mean by that?”“They’re just service robots, what can they do?” Ben stood his ground. “So if you can escape, why don’t you just go?”“We will, Citizen, and you will go with us.” The robot shoved Ben and he fell backward, knocking over a chair. “Leave him alone!” Jamie punched the robot but it did no damage. “What now?” he asked, wincing in pain. “We go wherever they want us to,” Ben scrambled to his feet and pulled Jamie out of the way, “and escape the first chance we get.”
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Ben woke face down on a metal floor and got unsteadily to his feet. “How’d I get here? Last thing I remember those robots were bullying me into a bunch of chores.” He touched the wall. “Solid enough. I wonder-“ "People of Vulcan,” a familiar voice began over an intercom, “this is your new Governor…”“Bragen!“ Ben swore. “It’s like I’ve gone back in time. Wait...if he’s making this announcement, then the Daleks are about to attack. I’ve got to get everybody out!” Following the hallway, he found something that looked like a fire alarm and set it off.
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“Come on!” Ben yelled, hurrying colonists out of the building. Valmar grabbed his arm. “What are you doing?” “Saving as many people as I can. Trust me mate, your problem with Bragen is about to solve itself.”“What do you mean?”“In a few minutes the Daleks will start killing everyone. We’ve got to get out of here before-“ Ben froze, listening. At the end of the corridor, a Dalek rolled into view. “Too late, shift it!”“EXTERMINATE!”Pain radiated through Ben’s body. He was dead before he fell.Then he woke up again, face down on a metal floor.
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“How are you feeling, Harriet?”Quilp shivered, opening her eyes. “You tell me.”“None of your memories have been altered,” the Doctor reviewed the readings from data extraction unit, “and it seems you’re not guilty.” “I told you that already.” “In addition, Polly has come up with a convincing argument for who’s really behind all this-”“It’s Meg,” Polly interject, “but we’ve no proof.” “We’ve no proof yet.” He eyed Harriet. “Do you trust me?” “Do I have a choice?”“Not really. I’ve a plan to get Meg talking. Wait five minutes and follow us to the Prime Designates' office.”
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“Meg, this isn’t necessary.” The Doctor sighed and held up his hands. “The robots just want to negotiate for better working conditions.” “That’s ridiculous,” Quilp scoffed, “they’re machines! They don’t have rights.”“Maybe they should,” Polly replied.“Enough of this. I’m going to force an end to this situation.” Meg Carvossa raised her gun to the Doctor’s head. “Turn around, Doctor. Harriet, bring the girl.”Quilp trained her weapon on Polly. “Where are we taking them?”“The robots want to talk? So we’ll talk long enough to inform them that if they don’t turn themselves off, we’ll execute our hostages.”
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Jamie wandered into the hotel bar, quietly repeating all the foods he’d been asked to retrieve. “Cheese, ham, pickle, wholegrain mustard, wholemeal bread, butter, and pickled onion. ‘Something plain,’ the Doctor says. Plain my foot!”“Can I help you?” Maggie Bishop looked up from the bar. “Was something wrong with the tea?”“No, thank you Mrs. Bishop. But the Doctor wanted a bite to eat. Can ye point me to the kitchens?”“I can, but it’s quite spooky down there now that all our staff have left. Do you want me to come with you?”“Ach no. I can manage.”
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Ben and Jamie returned, looking grave. Polly spotted them first and started to say something, but Ben put a finger to his lips. “Doctor,” she said slowly, “I’m a bit tired. Would you help me find a room?”“I’ll do it, Miss,” Private James Jackson offered.“That’s kind,” the Doctor glanced from Polly to the now empty doorway, “but there’s no need. Come along, Polly.” They quickly joined the others in the hallway. “What did you find?”“Andrews is dead, just like the staff. Duchess, you should wait here-”“Absolutely not! You’re not leaving me behind this time, Ben Jackson.”
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The friends waved goodbye as Corporal Gibbs and Private Jackson headed toward the evacuation ship.Polly elbowed Ben playfully. “So?”“What you on about, Pol?”“What’s it been like meeting your father as a young man?”“Between hunting that creature or being chased by it, we didn’t have much time to talk.” Ben shrugged. “Still, it was…nice, I suppose.”“It’s a shame you couldna tell him.”“It’s a common problem with time travel, Jamie. If Ben had tried he might've risked his whole existence.” The Doctor rubbed his hands together. “Time for us to leave as well, I think.”
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When he’d finished, the guards pushed Ben away at gunpoint. He watched Jamie and the Doctor climb into the truck and, as they drove away to find the TARDIS, Jamie waved out of the window. Ben waved back and hoped his repair would hold. Once they were out of sight, the Russians ushered him into the make-shift hanger. “If you lot really think we’re spies,” Ben began, “why’re you still letting me fix your airplanes?“Just be glad you are useful to us,” Nadia replied brusquely before heading toward the medical tent.Eyeing his guards warily, Ben got to work.
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Discovering the Doctor’s map on the cave wall gave Polly a new sense of purpose. Just to be safe, she used a rock to dismantle the radio and scratched a copy of it on a small piece of metal, which she slipped into the pocket of her flight jacket. Then, steeling herself, she headed back out into the snow storm.Orienting herself was difficult for a while, but then the weather cleared allowing her to spot landmarks and pick up the pace. Polly just hoped that Ben and the others would still be there if she managed to reach them.
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“No Jamie!” Polly said, exasperated. “I promised to keep an eye on you.”“I can take care of myself. We need to hurry before more people disappear.”Polly frowned but finally conceded. “Promise me you’ll stay with the soldiers at all times.”“Ach, of course I will.” Nodding to the two guards, Jamie led them through the flooded streets in search of the missing workers. They searched for half an hour, finding nothing but empty houses. Jamie was about to call off the search when he noticed how quiet everything had gotten. Turning around, he realized the soldiers had disappeared.
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When the Doctor disappeared, Richard had ordered Polly separated from Ben and Jamie and sent to some sort of secretarial pool. At first she’d refused to do anything, but then she had an idea. These people were rigid in their thinking, everyone followed the rules without asking questions. Pretending to work, Polly explored their computer system. She couldn’t find out where the others were being kept but she could see data and personnel files, as well as enter new information. Polly smiled and began a new personnel file for “Polly Wright,” giving herself the second highest level of security clearance.
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The bed was comfortable and she felt utterly exhausted. Still, no matter how she twisted and turned Polly couldn’t fall asleep. “This is useless,” she sighed. Twitching the covers out of the way, she started getting dressed. If she couldn’t sleep, she could at least make herself useful by sneaking down to Mr. Morton’s study and trying to find out where his workshop was. As she closed her door and crept down the hallway, she felt slightly guilty. Since when did she invade other people’s privacy and rifle through their things? "Since joining the Doctor," she thought ruefully, "that's when."
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“Found anything, Doctor?”“Hmmmmm?” He blinked at them a few times like a myopic mole. “Perhaps. What about you two?”Polly shrugged. “We found out how Anderson came by the necklace, but that’s all.”“Pol and I thought we’d take a breather. Run into town for a bit-““Oh, why not? Here, take this,” he handed Ben some money, “for shopping and a bite to eat.”“How’d you have the right kind of currency in your pocket?” Ben asked. “Were you planning on being marooned in Victorian London?”The Doctor’s eyes twinkled. “Always be prepared, isn’t that what they say?”
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“You sure you’re alright?”Jemma smiled but still looked apprehensive. “I’m fine Jamie, it’s just the stress of the court case and these strange deaths. But you’re kind to worry.“Jamie blushed. “I’m concerned for you.” There was an awkward silence and he blushed further. “Did you credit what Sir Henry said,” he asked, changing the subject, “…about the necklace?”“About it giving its wearer great power or the danger in wearing it?” Jemma fidgeted nervously as she sat beside him in the carriage. “I hardly know what to believe any more.” “Don’t worry, the Doctor’ll sort it all out.”
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“Say goodbye to your girl?” Ben teased.Jamie glared at him. “Miss Morton wasn’t my girl-”“Couldn’t tell by the way you mooned over her.”“Leave him alone, Ben.” Polly smiled at Jamie. “I thought it was very sweet.”“Ach, don’t you start!”“Now, now,” the Doctor said, “would you all please quiet down?” He triggered the scanner and an image of Morton and his daughter appeared. As the time rotor began to move, the faces of the Mortons took on a look of shocked surprise.The Doctor chuckled and rubbed his hands together. “I never get tired of that.”
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Polly stifled a chuckle. “Oh Jamie, are you okay?”“Hey mate,” Ben laughed loudly, “you got a bit of something…right there…”Jamie lay on his back in the mud. “Oh aye, very funny,” he said, making a face at them. He tried to stand, but kept slipping. “Well, give me a hand!”“Hold on.” Ben reached out. Jamie took hold and yanked hard. With a surprised shout, Ben somersaulted into the mud beside him. “Jamie!”“Not so funny now, is it?”Ben held out his hand. “Duchess-”“Oh no,” Polly laughed. “I’ll find a rope to pull you out.”
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Polly stepped out of the TARDIS. “Are you sure we’re not on Earth, Doctor? This certainly looks like it.”“Wait Pol,” Ben hurried after her, “could be dangerous.” He eyed the buildings of the ordinary-looking high street. “Bit run down.”“Indeed,” the Doctor and Jamie joined them, “but I’m curious about the lack of people.” Shivering, Polly folded her arms. “It’s awfully quiet.” “I don’t like it.” “Now Jamie, there’s nothing to be concerned about.” The Doctor walked cautiously toward a large building at the end of the street. “Let’s see if we can find anyone…ask a few questions-”
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“You!” The Doctor stepped back, eyes wide. “How can you be here?”Someone stepped forward and pointed a small, cylindrical object at the time travelers. “I could ask the same thing, old friend.” “But you’re dead.” “Clearly not. Who sent you? Our people?” “Doctor,” Ben gave Jamie a quick glance before focusing on the bearded stranger before them, “who’s this bloke?” Jamie took the hint and began edging around the side.“No one sent me,” the Doctor stammered. “We arrived totally by accident. Don’t Jamie! This man is very dangerous.” “Man,” he laughed, “I’m no mere man. I’m the Master.”
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“Run!” The Doctor and his friends darted out of the assembly hall and into the night. “Keep low! That device he’s holding is a weapon.”“Yes, we guessed that,” Polly quipped. “Where to?”“Back to the TARDIS-” Jamie began. “No!” The Doctor lowered his voice. “He’s up to something. We…we must find out what.”Ben looked around. “There’s fog rolling in, that should provide some cover.”“It’s…moving quite strangely.” The Doctor stopped suddenly. “Oh…oh crumbs. Cover your mouths. Don’t breathe-”But it was too late. The fog engulfed them and they froze in place like living statues.
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“What am I to do with you?” The Master paced in front of the four time travelers. “I could kill you, but that seems a waste.” His eyes lit up. “Maybe I could put you to use?”“Stay-” the young man in the kilt struggled against the mind-control gas, “away from Polly, you-”“Polly?” He looked at the girl. “Oh, that’s you? And these two-”The other young man scowled, trying to resist. “Ben…Jackson-”“Jamie…McCrimmon-”“Well Jamie, if you’re so concerned about the young lady, why don’t you marry her?” He smiled wickedly. “Yes…Mr and Mrs McCrimmon-”
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“You’ve been married for…five years.” The Master’s mesmeric gaze shifted from Polly to Jamie and back. “Living in a cottage outside town, in case I need to isolate you. The Doctor’s friends can be so troublesome.” “Married,” Jamie repeated, “five years.”“No,” Polly struggled, her eyes shifting, “…Ben…”“Is that a romantic preference I detect, young lady? Could be useful, if I need something to distract you all.” He focused on Ben. “You’re stationed a few towns away with the Navy-”“With the Navy,” Ben repeated.“As for you, Doctor,” the Master grinned, “I’ve a special job for you.”
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“It doesn’t make sense, but then so many things don’t.” Polly looked to Jamie, searching his eyes.He took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “You’re right. ‘Course you’re right.”“Like my brother.” Jack lowered his voice as Jill Sandbrook glanced over. “Reg’s been at the front for weeks but I’ve not gotten a single letter. It’s not like him.” The young man’s face looked determined. “I’m going to find out why. You two coming?”“No, we’ll stay here, keep an eye on the commanding officer.”“Yeah,” Jamie nodded, “of all the mysteries around here, the Doctor’s the biggest.”
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“Leading Seaman Jackson.” The Master smiled as Ben snapped to attention. “At ease. How’s the war coming?”“I-” Ben frowned, confused. “I…don’t…remem-”“Of course, you can’t say. Loose lips sink ships.” He stalked around Ben. “Congratulations, you’re going home on leave.”“Am I?” The Master held up a small device and Ben froze, glassy-eyed. “You’ll stay with the McCrimmons. Their marriage…I want you to break it up.” “Yes sir.”“Also, surveil the ranking CO. If the Doctor’s betrayed us, I may have you kill him. Understood?”“There’s a war on, sir. I’ll do my bit.”“Good boy.”
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Ben and Jamie scuffled together at the bridge, Jamie twisting around to give Ben a piggyback ride. Ben grinned down at his friend and then over at Polly. “Giddy-up,” he cried, digging his heels into Jamie’s sides. Polly laughed. “Honestly, you two are like children.” My boys, she thought again, following them over the bridge. It was wonderful that they were all together again. Polly felt warm and happy, all worries or questions driven temporarily from her mind.Jamie and Ben waited on the other side. Each put an arm around her as they continued the long walk into town.
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“Doctor,” Corporal Sandbrook called, horrified. “Sir, we need to drill the soldiers.”“Do we?” He blinked at her, rumpled in his oversized RAF great coat. “Oh. Well, we can do that tomorrow.”“Sir-”“Remind me, Corporal Jill,” he interrupted sweetly, “who is in charge?”She narrowed her eyes, but swallowed her remaining complaints. “You are, sir.”“Good. That means what I say goes…and I say that’s enough for tonight. Goodnight!”“Goodnight, sir,” she grumbled, then touched her ear. “Sandbrook, where are you,” came a smooth voice through her earpiece. “I want to you follow the McCrimmons and their guest.”
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The Doctor kept his head down as he shuffled back to his office. It wasn’t much of an act; he was exhausted and had a slight headache that never quite left him. If only he could think clearly! He listened at the door, waiting for the Master and the others to leave. Once he was sure he was alone in the building, he locked his office door. Moving stacks of papers out of the way, he revealed a box which he placed on his desk.“Hello, are you there,” he asked into the box. “I’d like to continue our negotiations.”
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“Oooowwww.” Ben rubbed his head. He heard noises outside - sirens, yelling, loud bangs, and the creaking of machinery. “What the blazes?” Getting up off the floor, he walked into the hall. There he spotted the Doctor balancing on a rickety chair, his hands handcuffed to a pipe above his head. “There you are, Doctor. How’d you get up there?”The Doctor frowned blankly at him. “Mr. Jackson?”“I’ll get you down. Must have had a bang on the head, I can’t seem to remember anything since we left the TARDIS.”“The TARDIS!” The Doctor’s eyes went wide. “Now I remember!”
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“Ben!” Polly rushed to his side. He was still breathing, but blood was beginning to soak through his naval uniform. “Oh Ben.” She glared at Robert. “You shot him.” Ben squeezed Polly’s hand weakly. “Hello Duchess.”“Don’t spare him any tears,” Jill scoffed. “But he’s-” Jamie shook his head as if trying to rid himself of a bad dream. “Hey, I remember who we are.” He too rushed to kneel beside Ben.“How could we forget?” Polly was close to tears. “Oh Ben, I’m so sorry.”“What do you mean?” Robert looked between the three friends. “You’re on his side?”
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Jamie glanced behind him. “Sure you’re up for this?”“Don’t have much choice.” Ben was breathing hard and holding his side. “He just winged me anyway.”“Sure.” Jamie didn’t look convinced. “I can go alone-”“Our odds are better with two of us. Let’s get this done quick before those spider things destroy the town.” They crept up the hill toward the squat bunker. As they neared, Ben spotted the Master on the balcony, sipping brandy. “Down,” he hissed.Crouched low, they circled the building until they located the only door. Jamie tried the handle and it swung silently open.
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“The spiders have agreed to a cease-fire.” Polly broke into exhausted, but relieved laughter as she hugged Jamie and Ben. “Finally, it’s over.”“Not quite. We still need to negotiate the peace.” The Doctor looked at Jill. “I suspect you’ll want to lead that discussion. And besides, there’s still the Master to deal with.”Jamie frowned. “But he’s gone.”“He’ll be back to check on his experiment. He expects all the humans to be dead; perhaps we should encourage that assumption?”“Except for me.”“Pol-”“Someone needs to lure him into the trap.” Polly shook off Ben’s hand. “I’m volunteering.”
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Victoria found the Doctor in the same place she always did: the console room. She wondered if he ever slept, but was afraid to ask. “Good morning,” she called politely. “Good morning,” he smiled at her, “sleep well?”“Much better.” She looked around. “Where’s Jamie?”“He’s…having a bit of a lie in, I suspect.” The Doctor flicked on the scanner and a large, low building came into focus.“Where are we?”“Summerpark, 1986.” The Doctor squinted. “Does that sign say ‘Science Fair?’” He clapped his hands gleefully and opened the doors. “Come along, Victoria, I love a science fair.”
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The Doctor led Jamie and Victoria into the expedition’s headquarters. “Awful lot of people wandering around,” Jamie remarked as they found seats near the back of a large room. “They just landed, after all.” The Doctor gave an excited little hop before sitting down. “I’m sure there’s lots to do…setting up the research sites and equipment, that sort of thing.”“What do data archeologists actually do?” Victoria frowned at the computer terminals which dominated the room. “Do they dig up things like regular archeologists?”“I’m not sure.” He grinned at her. “But won’t it be exciting to find out?”
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“You aren’t doing anything, are you?” Celce’s beautiful mask leaned close to study them. “It’s just..we need someone to gather supplies and,” she gestured around them, “everyone else is busy. Even your…teacher has gotten fairly involved.”Victoria glanced across to where the Doctor was deep in conversation with two scientists. “Yes," she sighed, “he does that.”“And he’s not really our teacher,” Jamie corrected her. “He’s more a friend. We travel together-”“I see.” She didn’t sound very interested. Celce held out two baskets and a Parchment device. “Here’s a list of what to look for. Good luck!”
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“I can’t believe it though,” Jamie glanced back to where Victoria and Celce waited in their vehicle and lowered his voice, “I saw Garrick base report in yesterday. They were about to bake potatoes, sing songs, and tell stories around the campfire. And now we’re saying-” He paused. Jamie and the Doctor had just crested a low hill and could now see Garrick Base below them. The scientists sat in a circle around the still burning fire. None of them moved. Some had their eyes closed while others stared sightlessly up at the sky. All of them were very dead.
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They stood side by side as the Doctor left the TARDIS. He gave them a cheery wave and smile before driving away with Celce. Jamie fought the urge to run after him. Glancing at Victoria, he noticed her biting her lip. She seemed on the verge of tears. Jamie made a quick decision and pulled the leaver that closed the TARDIS door. With his other hand, he drew out a piece of Parchment from his pocket. “Come on then.” He smiled at Victoria. “We might as well do something with the time, after all. Here we go. N…that’s for…”
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Victoria pointed at the Parchment. “S…that’s for-” When Jamie didn’t answer, she looked up to find him staring at her. “Sorry,” he blinked, coming back to himself. “I got a bit…distracted.” He dragged his eyes away from her face and down to her hands. “S…that’s for…sun!”They were sitting side by side on the floor of the TARDIS control room. Jamie had pulled pillows and other soft furnishings into the room to make it more conformable while Victoria taught him to read. “Go on,” Victoria urged. “T…”“T is for…” Jamie glanced at her again. “Thunderstruck.”
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“Jamie, you know this one! You just need to concentrate.” Victoria put her hand over his and helped him write the letter. “V is for-”“Victoria,” Jamie sighed. Something in his tone made her look up and she suddenly realized how close they were sitting. Jamie’s eyes were wide and he swallowed hard as his gaze drifted to her mouth. Intensely aware of the warmth of his hand in hers, Victoria felt her heart give a little flutter of excitement and something else. Something new. Jamie leaned forward…“Jamie,” Victoria squeaked, her voice naturally high, “I’m…worried about the Doctor…”
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“He told us to stay here-”Victoria gave him a look. “And you always do what he says? What if he’s in trouble? He said he wouldn’t be gone long, but it’s been what? A day? Several?”“Hard to tell in the TARDIS.” Jamie ran his hand through his hair. “All right, you’ve convinced me.”“Good.” Victoria let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. It felt good to be doing something finally. If nothing else, it meant she no longer had time to dwell on her feelings for Jamie. Whatever they were, she wasn’t ready for them.
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The Doctor leaned close to the cave walls to study the pictograms. “Hmmmm…yes. Could be a reference to knowledge…or perhaps learning?”Victoria carried one of the base lamps and set it beside him. “Can you read it?”“Some. Yes-” The Doctor stopped at another set of symbols. “Stories. So they’re telling stories to each other. I see-”Victoria sat against the other wall and made an encouraging noise. She knew he wasn’t really listening; she’d sat like this with her father many times when he was working on a discovery. Still, she hoped her presence helped a little.
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“Doctor,” Victoria studied a series of carvings, “I found two more of those symbols you said referenced the monsters.” He hurried over to her and clapped his hands excitedly. “Very good! Now we’re getting somewhere. It seems our friends - whoever carved these symbols - also found ruins of earlier civilizations-”“Just like the archaeologists now?”“Exactly like.” The Doctor frowned. “The process appears cyclical. A civilization emerges, finds the remains of their predecessors, learns of the existence of these monsters, and then they die…or are destroyed.”“By the monsters?”The Doctor’s frown deepened. “Or by the knowledge of the monsters.”
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“Celce,” Victoria gripped the door frame, “don’t you think you should slow down now?”“Can’t.” Enough of her mouth showed below the mask that Victoria could see her grit her teeth. “We have to stop them from taking off.”“That’s what the Doctor and Jamie are doing.” The vehicle took a ditch at speed and Victoria bounced high enough to almost hit her head. “Fixing the computers.”“It’s not enough.” Celce laughed dryly. “You know, the story of my life has no character in it. Time to change that.” She shoved Victoria out of the vehicle and rammed the rocket.
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“Four days,” Jamie ranted as he wandered the gardens around the Venusian Energy Commission building. “Four boring days of doing nothing while the Doctor tries to impress a bunch of aliens. Aliens who talk with their eyebrows, elbows, knees, and every other body part in addition to their mouths. How’s a body supposed to understand? And they cannae keep their hands to themselves-”He stopped dead in this tracks. In front of him lay the large expanse of purple lawn where the Doctor had landed the TARDIS four days ago. Now it was completely empty. The TARDIS had been stolen.
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“I don’t ken why you’re making a fuss,” Jamie began as the time travelers followed the Venusian into the arena. “The Doctor isnae fit as me, but he’s not made of glass either.”“While the Drexian games are a time-honored tradition, there are some,” Finfowlaflix paused, “inherent dangers to participants. As a valued guest and scientist, it would be foolish to risk the Doctor in this way.”“You don’t mind risking Jamie and me, however,” Victoria muttered. Jame tugged her arm. “What does ‘inherent’ mean?”“Essential or intrinsic. Why?”“Oh.” His face fell. “Thought perhaps it meant tiny or non-existent.”
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“Don’t worry Jamie and Victoria,” the Doctor patted them both awkwardly, “I’ll coach you through the events. With my guidance, you’re sure to take first place and win back my TARDIS.”“I’m sorry to correct you,” Finfowlaflix interrupted, “but your blue box isn’t the first place prize.” “No?”“No.” The Venusian smiled with her elbows and knees. “It’s the third place prize.” “What!” The Doctor seemed ready to launch into another tirade, but Victoria pushed him towards the training area. “You may be right, Jamie,” he muttered angrily, “stealing the TARDIS may be the best idea, guards or no guards.”
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Victoria studied her reflection. When she’d begun traveling with the Doctor she would have felt self-conscious in such a short dress, but not now. As she smoothed the fabric, she felt something in her pocket. She reached inside and pulled out a piece of paper containing a list written in a neat, steady hand and signed ‘Polly.’ The name was familiar, but she couldn’t place it in context. She decided to ask the Doctor and Jamie about it later. From her room she could hear them arguing about something in the control room. Smiling fondly, Victoria ran to join them.
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“You can’t blow up the tunnel! The Doctor’s down there!”The soldier frowned at Jamie. “But you repeatedly said you were alone-““Yes but-” Jamie grimaced in frustration. He couldn’t explain why he’d lied and there wasn’t enough time anyway. “Just tell them to stop!”“Yes please,” Victoria begged. “He has no idea he’s in danger!”“We’ll see what the Captain says.” The soldier turned to leave. “But it’s probably too late to stop it now.”Jamie tried to follow him but found the door slammed in his face. Then they both heard the sound of a lock being turned.
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The Doctor woke up on an underground platform with no idea how he’d gotten there. Until…“The Yeti!” he exclaimed as his memories flooded back. Shushing himself, he searched but found no sign of the robots or the explosives that had knocked him out. “Better find Jamie and Victoria,” he muttered, heading back the way he’d come, “before the Intelligence does.”He then proceeded to get thoroughly lost. So much so that he didn’t notice the tall man lurking in the shadows until he was practically on top of him.“Halt!” Colonel Lethbridge-Stewart ordered. “Just who the blazes are you?”
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“You’ll be alright?”“Jamie,” Victoria closed her suitcase, “it’s just for a few days.”“You say that, but there’s no guarantee the Doctor will find this place again.”“His own people promised that the TARDIS would return after he did an errand for them-““Oh aye.” Jamie picked up the suitcase for her. “Still, I should come with you to make sure you’re safe.”“Leaving the Doctor to travel to this space station on his own? James McCrimmon, you’ll do nothing of the sort!”“Fine,” he sighed. “But if you’re stranded studying wee scribbles for twenty years, don’t blame me.”
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“What’s that face for?”The Doctor shifted uneasily. “Do you recall if…Victoria took that piece of Parchment she used to teach you to read...with her when she left?”Jamie frowned. It’d been a long time since Amyryndaa. “Maybe? Why?”“Because I can’t find it.” He paced the control room. “If it’s on Earth when they develop WiFi, the results could be disastrous. I have to retrieve it!”“How,” Jamie scoffed. “You can’t control the TARDIS.”“I’ll be able to someday.” The Doctor relaxed slightly. “I know! Why don’t you write her a letter and I’ll deliver it then?”
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The Doctor opened his eyes slowly. For a moment he was confused, then Jamie leaned into view.“Ach, you’re awake at last.”“Hullo to you too, Jamie.” The Doctor tried to stretch but became entangled in the medical equipment around him. “Where am I? What’s happening?”“We’re in a place called ‘The Wheel.’ The people here rescued us from that rocket you landing the TARDIS on, but we’re in a bit of trouble.”“Already? I just woke up!”“They were going to blow up the rocket, TARDIS and all, so I had to stop them.”The Doctor frowned. “How exactly?”
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The phone rang. No one in the flying headquarters looked up, so focused were they on their work. After the fifth ring, a man at last picked up the receiver. “Yes?”“We’ve spotted two more people entering the building, sir. An older man and a boy wearing a kilt.”“A kilt?” The man frowned. “Send me their photos, ASAP.” Five minutes later he was looking at a photo of Jamie McCrimmon and the Doctor. Grabbing the phone, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart quickly redialed the number. “I want these two brought to me immediately. This could be the break we’ve been waiting for!”
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Zoe came from a place and time where you didn’t have to think about computers. Yes they were everywhere, but they blended into the background because they almost always worked as they were supposed to and were as utilitarian as space station furniture. Which was why the computer receptionist at International Electromatics so frustrated her - it seemed designed to be both obvious and unhelpful. But why would anyone design a computer in that way? “The individuals are designated Jamie and the Doctor,” she enunciated slowly. “Answer query.” “Wait please.” The computer’s data tapes whirred. “No information available.” “Infuriating!” Zoe snapped.
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Jamie gazed out the window of the car, trying to memorize the streets as they drove to the factory. After ten minutes of travel he was completely lost and gave up. “If Zoe were here, she’d remember,” he thought with fond annoyance. “I hope she’s alright, but I’d bet any money you like that she and Isobel were in yon canisters.” He eyed the driver warily and glanced behind him to where the Doctor sat between Vaughn and Packer. Feeling trapped, he fought a nearly overwhelming urge to escape.Noticing Jamie’s expression, the Doctor motioned for him to be patient.
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Glass broke behind him. As Jamie turned, he saw a gun sticking through a broken window in the front door and Professor Watkins collapsed on the floor. “Grab the radio, Jamie,” Jimmy yelled as he helped the old man to his feet.“Right.” Jamie picked up the bulky equipment and turned to follow the others. He heard a noise and pain spread up his leg like fire, but he kept moving forward.The Doctor and Zoe were waiting outside the back door. “Oh no,” the Doctor cried, taking the radio from Jamie as Zoe helped support him, “Jamie’s been shot!”
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The Doctor finished repairing the door to the control room and stretched. He glanced down at the computer to see if the Quiet Ones had tested his new device yet. They hadn’t.Sighing, he walked into the observation dome. Outside Sophie, her crew, Jamie, and Zoe stood as still as statues. Time moved so much slower on the planet than it did inside the base; yet every day he spotted a new detail, a change in the tableau that showed they were still alive.“We’ll be together soon,” he promised them. “Soon in your time, if…ah…not in mine.”
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“Do we have to tramp through all this water? My feet are getting soaked.”“You should wear boots,” Jamie advised Zoe. “Those slipper things aren’t meant for serious walking.”“Quiet you two,” the Doctor shushed them. “I want to find out…oh dear.”The tunnel opened up into a chamber, within which lay a huge beast. It’s eyes were closed and it was snoring gently in its sleep. The creature’s tongue lolled out of its mouth causing a pool of drool to spread outward and down the tunnel they’d come from.Zoe cringed. “Is that what we’ve been walking though?”
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“You just wait until we’re outside. I’ll wager you both that there’ll be some alien beastie ready to do us harm. We’ll see how good they are then.” Jamie pulled the lever to open the TARDIS door. “And just don’t expect me to come to your rescue.”Zoe called his name, but Jamie ignored her. He was furious at both her and the Doctor. Storming out of the ship into a white, sterile hallway, he felt something change. His anger drained away, leaving him feeling confused and passive.Jamie shook his head, trying to clear it, but the feelings persisted.
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Elm lead them into the community room. “As you can see, our clients are peaceful when treated.”“What’s wrong with them,” Zoe asked, aghast. “Why don’t they speak?”Jamie was only dimly aware of the Doctor and Zoe’s conversation with Coordinator Elm. That strange feeling was back, the one he’d had when he first stepped out of the TARDIS. All of his emotions felt blunted and distant, as if they belonged to someone else. Jamie eyed the vacant expressions of the patients of the Aspen Treatment Center and wondered if they felt as horrible and disconnected as he did now.
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A tangle of wires and cables surrounded the Doctor like a nest of briars as he tried to increase power to the Pacifitron.Across the base, Jamie struggled with the now untreated Quirker Syndrome patients. He’d picked up a piece of equipment and was trying to force them back into the corridor outside a laboratory, but there were too many of them and he didn’t have room to maneuver. One patient sneaked past and grabbed Jamie around the neck, strangling him while others patients punched and scratched the young Highlander anywhere they could reach. “Jamie,” Zoe screamed. “Oh Doctor, hurry!”
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The hum of the TARDIS changed pitch slightly. Zoe looked up from her work to see that Jamie had noticed too. “We’ve stopped,” she observed.“What now?” Jamie grumbled, just as the Doctor entered the room.“Now, now, Jamie. I’ve stopped the TARDIS in space well clear of any current civilizations or space lanes. I’m afraid the ship still hasn’t completely repaired itself from the explosion in the Land of Fiction, so someone has to go outside and repair it.”“Oh all right,” Jamie sighed. “What’d you want me to do?”“Actually, I think this is a task for Zoe.”
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Zoe looked at the damaged equipment. She could fix it, given time, but she wasn’t sure how much of that she had. Her spacesuit air supply was limited and there was likely very little in the derelict ship, given its apparent age.That was another thing - the robot, Nostic, said it was just a simple machine and denied making sure there was enough air for her to breathe. But it must have done so, there was no way a vessel with systems this damaged could support air manufacture without concerted effort.So Nostic lied. But why would a robot lie?
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Jamie was annoyed. The Doctor hadn’t trusted him with the TARDIS repairs and wouldn’t discuss his suspicions about what was going on. He’d even tried to keep the truth of the suspension chamber from him, as if Jamie were a wee bairn. Not that seeing dead bodies was pleasant, but these were hardly the first he’d seen.“Ready human?” Porthintus’s booming voice interrupted Jamie’s ruminations. “We should get moving if we’re going to find your friend.” Twenty pointed at the wall. “Behind there is the quickest route.”Porthintus grabbed a panel and wrenched it away. “You first, tiny skirted human.”
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Porthintus was dead, atomized moments after saving Jamie and Twenty.“Zoe?” Jamie yelled, searching through the smoke-filled corridor until he found her. “Are you-““Oh Jamie,” she cried, “it’s all my fault. If I hadn’t turned on the power-““Hush now,” he put an arm around her, “you couldn't have known. I tried to tell them yon curved corridor was wrong, but they wouldna listen.” Letting go, he gestured toward the prone body nearby. “Can you do anything for Twenty? The Doctor said he’s like you.”“An augmented human?” Zoe wiped her eyes and looked at the young man. “Interesting.”
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Knelling beside the Diagnostic Robot, Jamie put a hand near its main screen. “Wee Tinder Box, you alright?”“Nostic. Charging, 3%. Charging.” “If that means you’re tired, me too. Running on that kinetic mill and fighting these sleeper creatures has about done me in.” He sighed and stood up. “Still, better get going. The others will need rescuing, as usual. I’m gonna carry you, but you need to be quiet. D’ye ken?”“Quiet,” it said loudly. “Nostic. Quiet. Mostly.”“Aye,” Jamie chuckled. Grabbing the robot on either side, he hoisted Nostic on his back and began searching for his friends.
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“Doctor?” Zoe tugged at his sleeve. “This facility is fascinating, but we’ve been gone a long time. Shouldn’t we get back to Jamie?”The Doctor patted her hand. “Just a few more minutes.” He turned toward Provost Curtis and pointed at a set of double doors. “What’s in there?”“I’ll be glad to show you, but first I’d like to offer you both positions on my research staff.”“That’s…uh…very kind, but we’re not looking for jobs at the moment.”Two guards stepped into the corridor and aimed blasters at the travelers.Curtis smiled condescendingly. “Oh, but I insist.”
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Jamie ran from the room. Curtis followed him at a more leisurely pace, as if he had all the time in the world.Zoe looked between the blue-skinned attendant and the electrical barrier that trapped her and the Doctor. “We have to get out of here! They’ll kill Jamie if they catch him!”“Oh dear.” The Doctor twisted his hands together, pacing the room in anxious frustration. “Oh crikey. Oh crumbs.” “Doctor, that’s not helping!”“I don’t know what else to do! There’s no way out!” He turned to Zoe. “You’re a genius, why don’t you think of something?”“Doctor!”
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“What’s up, boss?”Matheson checked her pack. “I’ve got a lead on the person behind the crooks who attacked you in San Juan.”Charlie looked surprised. “When do we leave?”“We don’t.” She held up her hand, silencing his protests. “You’re still recovering and are in no shape to go hiking through a jungle in Belize.”“Belize?”“The same person who was after the Doctor’s screwdriver is selling the Pepys Collection. The rendezvous is in a Mayan temple, apparently the same one mentioned in a recording in the vault.”“That’s…a weird coincidence.”“Isn’t it?” She shrugged. “Wish me luck.”
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Matheson sat at the back of the UNIT transport with her eyes closed. She held a small but utterly alien recording device to her ear and was clicking the playback on and off.
“…I constantly wondered if I’d die under some strange, foreign star and now it’s time, in an ancient temple under three red stars. Just trying to do the right thing. Goodbye…”
Matheson silenced the scream on the recording quickly. “Poor Zoe Heriot. According to our files, you were just a kid.” She shook her head. “Focus on the task at hand, Matheson. You can’t save the dead.”
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“And this,” the Doctor pointed at a switch on the TARDIS console, “controls the flight log, it records our travels-“Jamie was listening intently but Zoe was focused on the scanner. “It looks like we’ve landed in a Mayan temple.” She grinned. “I’ve always been fascinated by their numbering system. Can we look around?”“It can also intercept local video signals,” the Doctor continued without hearing her question. “We could watch a football match or news report, if we wished-” Becoming impatient, Zoe opened the doors and walked outside. “Come on you two! You can fiddle with the TARDIS later-“
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Zoe dragged Jamie into the TARDIS and laid him beside the Doctor. Outside Deakin fired at Captain Matheson. The logic bomb Zoe created had turned off the alien technology integrated into his body and he was struggling to aim, but he was still advancing.“Zoe,” Matheson placed herself between the mercenary and the TARDIS, “close the door! Just leave!” “Nooooo!” Deakin rushed at them. Matheson intercepted him and the two struggled for his gun. Zoe ran to help her friend but the door control on the TARDIS console lowered seemingly on its own, sealing her and the others safely inside.
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“…The door closed and the TARDIS began moving,” Zoe continued. “I assume it detected the missiles UNIT sent to destroy the virus.““Which also destroyed a priceless Mayan temple and two human beings in the process.” The Doctor shook his head. “You say this Captain Matheson had the TARDIS flight log with her?”“Yes. That, some sort of telepathic image viewer shaped like a small coin, and a handheld temporal displacement device.”“Interesting.” The Doctor frowned. “I better leave a note in my five hundred year diary to give them to UNIT. Perhaps the next time I see the Brigadier-”
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“When did this start?”“Awhile ago.” The Doctor smiled kindly. “Could you be more specific? It’s just, when a view onto an alien landscape appears through a flat’s kitchen window, people tend to remember.” Roger thought. “No.” He paused, adding “I’m an artist,” as if that explained everything.“I see.” The Doctor intertwined his fingers. “And did these ‘Caretakers’ appear at the same time?”Roger frowned. “I think so.”“I thought as much. Yes, I believe I can help you.”“All by yourself?”The Doctor’s smile faltered. “I have friends…but I’m afraid they’re not with me at the moment.”