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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 - Audio 8.02: The AlchemistsChapter 6 - Audio 1: Hunters of EarthChapter 8 - Serial: s002 The DaleksChapter 10 - Audio 01.01: Rise and FallChapter 11 - Inktober 2018Chapter 12 - Audio 03.01: The Age of EnduranceChapter 18 - Audio 8.02: The AlchemistsChapter 19 - Serial: s012 The RomansChapter 20 - Audio 02.01: 1963Chapter 21 - Audio: 08.08 The Sleeping CityChapter 22 - Audio 01.02: The Doctor's TaleChapter 24 - Audio 7.05: Return of the Rocket MenChapter 25 - Serial: s016 The ChaseChapter 33 - Audio 01.01: FrostfireChapter 39 - Audio 05.02: An Ideal WorldChapter 43 - Audio 05.03: EntanglementChapter 50 - Serial: s018 Galaxy 4 Chapter 52 - Audio 01.03: The Bounty of CeresChapter 56 - Audio 05.09: EtheriaChapter 58 - Audio: Men of WarChapter 65 - Inktober 2017Chapter 66 - Audio 03.04: The SontaransChapter 72 - Audio 07.12: O TannenbaumChapter 73 - Audio 10.06: Out of the Deep Chapter 80 - Audio 09.12: Peace in Our TimeChapter 81 - Audio 7.05: Return of the Rocket MenChapter 87 - Audio 02.01: The Yes MenChapter 89 - Audio 01.01: FrostfireChapter 90 - Audio 02.03: Bonfires of the VanitiesChapter 92 - Audio 07.05: FallingChapter 95 - Audio 07.10: All Hands on Deck
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“Delightful!” The Doctor clapped his hands. “Thank you, Herr Haber, for a most enjoyable afternoon.”“It was my pleasure.” Haber guided the older man through the crowded room and onto the street outside the Institute. “It’s a rare joy to discuss scientific theories with an intellect such as yours.”“Too kind.” The Doctor looked chuffed. “But true-” Before he could continue, a car drove up and a large man grabbed both of them. “Unhand us, sir!”“Stop!”The Doctor spotted Susan standing on the edge of the crowd. “Susan! Run! Susan,” he cried as he was shoved into the car.
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Susan ripped the sheets and tied them together, hoping desperately that Pollet wouldn’t enter before she was ready. Once finished, she attached one end to the bedstead and the other to the only other item in the room: a large jug.“I hope this works,” Susan sighed. With all her might, she swung the jug at the window. Glass shattered and the jug fell into the dark, rainy night before jerking to a stop at the end the sheet rope. But Susan didn’t see any of this. Instead, she hid behind the door of her cell and waited for Pollet.
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Susan ran through the rain. She was cold, exhausted, and lost, but at least she’d escaped capture. Ducking under an awning, she searched her pockets. They were almost empty, Pollet having taken all of her money, but he had left one thing: the TARDIS key. “He probably thought it was scrap,” she mused, slipping the thin hexagonal tube back into her pocket. Fearing Pollet might catch up with her, she hurried on. Eventually, she spotted a railway map and decided on a path through Berlin to the ship. It would be the longest, most fearful walk of Susan’s young life.
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Susan and the Doctor found seats at the back of the train car, away from the other passengers, and caught up on the previous day’s events. “You were very brave, child,” the Doctor took her hand and held it tightly, “and very clever. I’m proud of you, although I am sorry you were exposed to such dangers.”“I’m just glad Strichmater didn’t hurt you-” The Doctor scoffed. “If he’d damaged me or killed me, how would he get hold of Herr Haber’s gold making process, which he was convinced I knew?” He chuckled. “Greed makes humans so profoundly stupid, Susan.”
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The Doctor tinkered with the insides of the TARDIS console. With an irritated huff, he reached for the device he’d acquired earlier. It was primitive, as everything was on this planet, but it would have to suffice if they were to leave soon.“Good morning, Grandfather,” Susan called cheerfully as she entered the control room.“Where are you going, hmmm?”“Don’t you remember? I’m visiting a museum today.”“With the boy from that eating establishment?”Susan laughed, tucking her transistor radio into her coat pocket. “His name is Cedric, Grandfather. I’m sure you’d like him if you talked to him.”
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“Do you know what the song is?”Cedric shrugged. “No, but why does it matter?”“The man on the radio, the one who made the dedication to us, kept telling you to remember it. I can’t help feeling that’s important.” Susan walked up to music store owner, followed closely by her friend. “Excuse me,” she asked shyly, “do you know a song called…what was it? Oh! ‘Blowing in the Wind?’” The man smiled and sorted through a stack of record albums before handing her one named The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. “Don’t care for it myself, but here you are.”
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Susan gestured toward two doors. “You can sleep here.”Ian opened one. Inside was a bed, side table, and dresser - all functional but devoid of personality. “Cosy,” he remarked, dryly. “It’s fine,” Barbara interrupted, concerned for Susan’s feelings. “Thank you.”“And I’m sorry about Grandfather. He means well.”Ian frowned. “He has a funny way of showing it.” As if summoned, the Doctor stepped into view. “Go on! Sleep if you must!” He rubbed his hands gleefully. “We have a long walk tomorrow.”“I suppose it’s unavoidable,” Ian replied, “if we’re to repair the ship.”“Yes.” The Doctor chuckled. “Indeed.”
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Barbara watched the lift move slowly upwards, desperate to know if Ian was inside. “Ian?” There was no response. “We should have stayed together. Ian!”“I’m all right, Barbara.” Ian’s voice sounded muffled. “Almost there.” As the top of the lift cleared the door frame, she finally spotted him and he grinned at her. Suddenly the lift stopped. Acting quickly, Ian scrambled up to them just as it began moving down again, toward the Daleks. He and Barbara wrapped their arms around each other and held on tightly, all professional propriety forgotten in their giddy relief. “Thank goodness,” Barbara whispered.
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“It’s wonderful!” Susan’s voice was muffled by distance, but the others could just make it out. “Wait until you see.”Ian and Barbara shared an amused smile. The Doctor, his head bent over the console, tutted quietly. “Such a fuss about nothing,” he muttered. “Fashion indeed!” “I liked the last one,” Barbara called encouragingly. “The Regency ballgown made you look as if you’d stepped out of Pride and Prejudice.” “This one’s even better.” Susan entered the room wearing a shimmering golden dress with a large collar and headdress. “A bit Dan Dare, isn’t it?” Ian chuckled, as Barbara shushed him.
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With his arms around Barbara and Susan’s shoulders, Ian hobbled into the TARDIS. The Doctor fluttered his hands impatiently. “Quickly now!” “We’re hurrying, Grandfather,” Susan huffed, “but Ian’s heavy.”“It’s all muscle,” he quipped. His swollen foot accidentally scraped against the floor and Ian yelped in pain. “Besides, we’re going as fast as we can.”“Here, sit down.” Barbara pulled a chair toward him. “Susan, get the medical kit.”The Doctor harrumphed. “If you refuse to watch where you’re stepping, Chesterson-”“Doctor,” Barbara admonished as Ian glared at him, “Ian saved Susan from falling into it, as you well know.”
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Barbara helped Susan guide the Doctor through the battle. “Rest here,” she yelled once they were safely out of the room. “I’ll help Ian.”She hurried back through the doorway. Benya’s fighters were still firing, but the Shifts were advancing on their attackers. Ian knelt directly in their path, struggling to unlock Toban’s shackles. Barbara rushed forward but someone grabbed her and held on tight. “Another organic,” Arran hissed in her ear. “How fortunate.”Barbara fought unsuccessfully to free herself as the others retreated. “Wait, where’s Barbara?” Ian yelled. Turning, he cried out in horror when he finally spotted her.
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“Chesterton,” the Doctor gasped, “the parts.” Frowning, Ian handed him the components. He’d never seen the Doctor look so fragile. “You should take a break. That was quite a knock you took when we escaped the Vanguard.”“Don’t fuss,” the Doctor scolded and continued working on the device. “Besides this ‘Mother’ of theirs has left me no choice. Without this radiation detector, we will all die.” “Mother means well,” Olivan interjected. “She’s fought the Shifts for hundreds of years. We’re so close to a solution that it’s made her desperate.” He sighed. “To be honest, we’re all a bit desperate.”
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In engineering, Susan clung to some piping as the Endurance shook violently. “What’s wrong?”“We’ve changed course,” Benya yelled. He and his crew hurried around the ship’s engines, trying to keep the energy flowing. “We’re diving…through a gas pocket judging from the turbulence. What’s Mother playing at?” The metal of the hull groaned as loose equipment slid and fell around them. Susan’s eyes were wide with fear. “Will the ship survive?” “We’re not dead yet. Watch those gauges, Susan, and read off the numbers.” “107,” she gasped. “56. 10. 5.”“They’ve cut the engines. Wherever we’re going, we’ve arrived.”
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“Be safe,” Myla whispered as Ian and Toban closed the airlock behind them. Her mask of cold indifference slipped as worry and grief overwhelmed her. “I’ve already lost Olivan, I can’t lose you too, old friend.” She lingered in the corridor, watching them pull on their spacesuits. “But you’re right, as usual; restarting the engines is only way we’ll survive this mess.”Toban opened the outer hatch and signaled Ian. Once they were both securely tethered, he released the clamp and was sucked outside. Myla drew a ragged breath, composed herself, and returned to the bridge without a backwards glance.
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Susan, Ian, and Myla followed Toban as he tracked the signal. “Nothing could have survived the depressurization.” Myla’s tone was hard as usual, but Ian detected a glimmer of hope in it. “My son and your grandfather are dead.”“You don’t know the Doctor,” Ian chuckled. The possibility of good news made him practically giddy. “He’s too stubborn to die. If someone is sending an SOS on your comm system, it has to be him.”“But Olivan-““Grandfather wouldn’t have left him,” Susan interjected. Toban stopped in front of a wall panel. “We’ll soon find out. It’s coming from here.”
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“Sir? Are we really leaving Mother behind?”“You heard her orders, soldier. Besides if we don’t get out of here without the Shift’s seeing us, her plan will fail and I’m not letting that happen.” Toban led the remaining crew through the Endurance’s damaged corridors and into the docking tube. He ignored Olivan’s questions and Ian’s quizzical looks until everyone was safely onboard. Finally, he met Olivan’s eyes. “Make her proud, boy,” Grabbing the airlock door, he slammed it shut and disconnected the docking tube.“Only twenty Shifts between me and Mother.” Toban grinned and unholstered his weapon. “No problem.”
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The Doctor muttered as he hobbled around the console. Ian watched him closely. The old man seemed particularly absent-minded since Susan’s departure. Hearing movement, Ian spotted Barbara in the corridor. She looked pale and had tears in her eyes. “What’s wrong?”“I was packing Susan’s things when I found this.” She handed him a letter. He recognized Susan’s handwriting.“Dear Barbara,” Ian read quietly, “If you’ve found this and I’m still here, stop reading. If I’m not, it’s for one of two reasons: I’ve either died or left the TARDIS…” He met Barbara’s eyes briefly and then returned to reading.
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Ian wasn’t sure how it had happened. In some ways it was a slow progression, part of getting to know each other through life in the TARDIS. In other ways it had always been there, even before they’d set foot in Totter’s Lane.Barbara took Ian’s hand, disrupting his reverie. “What are you thinking about?”“About us. This easy intimacy we have, it’s wonderful.”“Yes it is,” she smiled, “but it’s your turn to get the drinks.” Across the Roman villa, Vicki giggled. Making a face at them, Ian bowed with mock solemnity. “Your wish is my command, my lady.”
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Barbara stared. Ian stood on the Thames River waving at her. “What are you doing?”He gestured at the water below him. “It’s frozen, like everything in London. Come have a look!”She made her way to the riverbank and hesitantly stepped onto the river. The surface was smooth and hard, like thick glass, and she slid slightly. Regaining her footing, Barbara bent to touch the water. She’d expected it to be cold, but it felt the same temperature as the air around her. Gingerly, she walked to the middle of the river and sat beside Ian. “What’s going on?”
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Vicki’s eyes closed slowly, then she shook herself awake. “You’re exhausted,” Barbara said. “Why don’t you go to bed?”“I have to help find out what killed Allut.” Vicki sighed. “After all, it was my fault.”“No, it wasn’t. Come on.” She pulled Vicki to her feet. “You’ll feel better after a full night’s sleep.”Ian put down the book he was reading and stretched. “We should all get some rest. Who knows what the Doctor has planned for tomorrow.”Yawning, Vicki allowed Barbara to lead her from the lounge. As they left, Barbara shared a worried look with Ian.
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Barbara hugged Ian and Vicki. They stood together like that for a long time until it was time to go. She followed the Doctor down to the river and climbed aboard the boat. Glancing back at the shore, she saw Ian put his arm around Vicki’s shoulder. They both waved and she waved back while trying to hide her tears. “Oh Doctor,” she whispered, “are we doing the right thing leaving them here?”The Doctor gripped his lapels. “Chesterton has a good head on his shoulders…most of the time. They’ll be fine, my dear.” But even he looked worried.
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Barbara ran her hands over the copy of The Canterbury Tales. It had been wonderful meeting Chaucer, but while she’d treasure the memory she was beginning to wonder if the trip had been worth it. She’d become separated from the Doctor in London and spent several days in this inn without any way to contact her friends.“Lady Barbara?”Barbara looked up in surprise. “Sir Robert? What are you doing here?”“Looking for you, my lady.” He sat across from her and took her hand. “I’m afraid I’m the bearer of bad news. Sir Ian and the Doctor are dead.”
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A girl breaks away from her Rocket Men captors and runs. When the pirates begin shooting at her, Steven moves. He’s alone against nearly two dozen men, all armed. If he stays out of it there’s a chance, however small, they might take the cargo and let him live. But he can’t sit back and watch someone be killed.Steven attaches an oxygen can to his belt, the mask to his face, and climbs out of the cockpit. He barely takes ten steps before he’s tackled to the ground and pinned by three men. And worse is yet to come…
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“Look at her,” Barbara gestured at the nearby sand dune, “Vicki just runs off without any concern for what could be out there or how she’ll find her way back-” “Don’t worry, my dear.” The Doctor patted her hand. “Chesterton has the TARDIS magnet, he’ll look after her.”“I suppose.” She smiled conspiratorially. “But who will look after him?”“Quite right, quite right,” he laughed and clapped his hands. “Now, come along. I fancy warming my old bones in this glorious sunshine. What do you say, hmmm?” “I could use some sun myself.” Grinning, she took his arm. “Why not?”
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Vicki pulled an unconscious Ian away from the hole in the floor. Settling him into what she hoped was a comfortable position, she patted his shoulder. “I’ll find the Doctor. He’ll know how to help you.”The way they’d come was blocked by debris and it took her some time to find another entrance. Finally she spotted sunlight streaming in through a partially broken metal door. Creeping quietly above ground, she was surprised to see the TARDIS nearby. Three strangely-shaped mechanical creatures glided around it in a predatory fashion.“Oh no,” Vicki whispered, hiding behind the ridge, “are those…Daleks?”
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“Sit still!”“I’m fine.” Ian squirmed out of the chair, but Vicki and Barbara pushed him back down. “Honestly, all I need is a wash and a change of clothes.”“You can do that after I’ve seen to this cut.” Barbara continued cleaning the wound. “Vicki? Would you get us all something to eat from the food machine please? I suspect the Doctor is the only one who’s eaten today. Personally, I’m famished.” Vicki bounced cheerfully from the room. “Just yell if he gives you any more trouble.”“The cheek!” Ian laughed as he said it. “Ganged up on again.”
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“What an odd young man.” The Doctor followed the others inside the TARDIS and immediately put the ship in flight again. “You know, once we’ve dealt with the Daleks I would like to return to New York City. Indeed-”“Doctor,” Ian sighed, “are we still being followed?”“Yes, of course we are! They’ll land as we did and within moments be on our trail again.” He paused. “I wonder. Chesterton, you and Barbara go to the third room down the hallway and bring me the table and machine just inside the door. They may provide an answer to our problem.”
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Ian rushed to the Doctor’s side. “Is the robot destroyed?”“Use your eyes, young man!” The Doctor grabbed on to his arm for support, clearly exhausted, but the corners of his lips twitch into a smile. “Or perhaps you should get you eyesight checked? Imagine thinking that thing was me!”“I suppose I deserve that. Are you alright? I didn’t hurt you when we were fighting?”“Fighting? I’m not sure I could dignify what you were doing with that name.”“You’re fine,” Ian chuckled. “We should get back to the cave. If the robot is here, so are the Daleks.”
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“Another day.” Steven chucked a pebble over the side of the building. “Just like every other day for the two years I’ve been a prisoner here.”He was so lost in brooding it took him awhile to notice the noises. “Can’t be,” he whispered, peeking below. “Sounds like people. Actual human people.” Slowly and quietly he began climbing down the wooden structure he’d created to reach the roof. The sound of laughter stopped him in his tracks, then Steven rushed the rest of the way to the landing and grinned in astonished relief at Vicki, Barbara, Ian, and the Doctor.
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Barbara grinned and, grabbing Ian’s hand, pulled him with her into the time-ship. They found the others easily. Vicki, playing tour guide, was showing the Doctor where the Daleks had made their robot duplicate of him.“Doctor,” Barbara interrupted, “we have something we want to ask-” He smiled benevolently at them. “Yes, my dear? Come, come, why this shyness from you?”“Ian and I wondered…if you would use this ship to take us home…to our own time?”The Doctor’s face clouded over and he stormed angrily outside. “No! I will not listen! I do not want to know!”
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“You must follow this sequence exactly,” the Doctor said sternly. “Exactly, do you hear?”“We understand, Doctor.” Ian studied the older man’s face with somber fondness. “Thank you.”“Don’t thank me, my boy! Your lives or your deaths are your own responsibility now.”“Still,” Ian held out his hand. “Thank you…for everything.” The Doctor looked down his nose at him, but finally gave in and perfunctorily shook Ian’s hand.“I’ll miss you,” Vicki said, hugging Barbara.“And we’ll miss both of you.” As Vicki moved to hug Ian, Barbara gently kissed the Doctor’s cheek. “Please take care of yourselves.”
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Steven entered the control room to find the Doctor muttering to himself while Vicki stood off to the side, smiling indulgently. “What’s going on,” Steven began, but she shushed him.“He’s like this when we land someplace new,” Vicki explained. “Soon he’ll settle down enough to tell us where we are.”“Why don’t we just check the ship’s systems and see for ourselves?” Steven strolled over to the console. “I am a pilot, you know-““Stop being impatient, Steven,” she chided.He laughed. “Pot meet kettle,” With all the dignity she could muster, Vicki stuck her tongue out at him.
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“Ah,” the Doctor said triumphantly, “London, 1814. Come along, come along! It's very cold outside.” Hurrying to a large dresser, he pulled out two long cloaks and fur hats. “Put these on quickly so we can be on our way. They were gifts from Catherine the Great.” Steven frowned. “Catherine the Who?” “My dear boy, do you not know any of your own people’s history? The Empress of Russia.”Vicki sneezed. “They smell awful.”The Doctor waved the comment away. “Hush, it’s just the moth balls. Stop dawdling.” Vicki and Steven exchanged a look, but did as they were told.
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“What is it,” Vicki stared at the crowds of people and the jumbles of booths and amusements, “a fair?”“But on ice?” Steven pointed at the ground. “Look, it’s a not a solid piece. Definitely not a lake. Is it even safe to walk on?”“Quite safe, my boy,” the Doctor chuckled, “considering how cold it is. This is the Thames River and these people are attending the last of the Frost Fairs. Winter carnivals, if you will. Wonderful, quite wonderful!” Vicki clapped her hands. “What shall we see first?” “We won’t see anything just standing around here. Come along!”
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Steven eyed the huge egg with apprehension. It didn’t look entirely natural. The crowd in the curio tent stared open-mouthed at the object, almost as if they were under a spell. Even the Doctor seemed mesmerized. Then Vicki fainted and the spell was broken.“Let me through,” yelled the Doctor impatiently as he and Steven tried to push their way through the crowd. By the time they arrived, a middle-aged woman knelt on the ice beside Vicki. She waved a small bottle under the girl’s nose and Vicki bolted awake. “It’s alright, my dear. You passed out with the cold.”
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“I’ve seen a few docu-romances,” Steven whispered to Vicki, “and I know these were different times, but all the women at this party are acting so strangely.”Vicki cringed. His eyes narrowed. “What?”“Miss Austen asked if I was looking for a husband and when I said no…she assumed it was because we were…you know?” “A couple,” he exclaimed, causing several guests to stare at him. “Surely you corrected her?”“No,” Vicki admitted, “I told her how accomplished you were at things like dancing and singing-““What!?” “I’m sorry! And now, I think Miss Austen has told…everyone…”
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Vicki and Jim pushed the door to the furnace shut before the Phoenix chick could escape. The creature screamed and Vicki screamed with it, her hands covering her face. “Vicki?” Leaving the fight, Steven rushed to her side. “What’s wrong?”“My eyes! There’s something in my eyes!”“Get her to safety, my boy,” the Doctor urged as Jane Austen helped him up. “The rest of us will see to this.”Steven lifted her gently in his arms and carried her from the building. As they fled, they heard the Phoenix beat its wings against its prison as it slowly died.
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Steven lay stretched out in the tall grass, hidden from view. Rain drops hit his face and his eyes fluttered open. “Must have fallen off the rocks.” Standing gingerly, he looked around. “Vicki! Doctor?” There was no response, just the sound of the wind in the trees as the storm intensified. “You can’t have gotten far, unless I’ve been unconscious for longer than I thought.” Steven rubbed the back of his head. “And that fall turned me around. I’m not sure I could find the TARDIS.” He sighed. “Great. Just great. We’ve only just landed and I’m already lost…again!”
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“When things die, Vicki-”“I’d like to go back out for Steven now, Doctor,” she said, interrupting him. “You leave it all to me.” Vicki missed his reply as she scrambled toward the mouth of the cave, but she knew he was trying to prepare her for the possibility Steven might already be dead. At the last moment, Vicki glanced back worriedly. The Doctor was crouched in a lower part of the cavern, muttering to himself. Every so often he coughed violently. He didn’t look well. “I’ll find Steven,” Vicki whispered, “and we’ll all leave here together. I promise, Doctor.”
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The Doctor’s fingers twitched at the sound of Steven’s voice. While his subconscious registered his young friend’s conversation with Vicki, his conscious mind battled the invading sickness that had been changing him from the inside since the cave. “I’ll do what I can to get the lab ready for your arrival.” Steven paused. “Do you think you could get into the TARDIS?”“Maybe?” Vicki looked across at the Doctor. “He tried to leave me notes about how to pilot the ship, but they were completely illegible. Besides, if we’re all prisoners surely they won’t even let us try.”“We’ll see.”
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Vicki walked between the two surgical beds on which lay the only living people she considered family. As Steven’s blood was withdrawn by Factotum, the computer quickly modified the microscopic machines within it and then injected them into the Doctor. Slowly, the Doctor’s paleness faded and he began to look more healthy. “It’s working!” She took Steven’s hand and was surprised at the coldness of his skin. “Are you alright?”“I’ll be fine.” He chuckled weakly. “Guess he can’t say I never gave him anything.”“It’s quite the gift,” she laughed. “I doubt I’ll ever be able to top it.”
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Steven surveyed the buildings of Sedgwick College and frowned at the cold, rainy weather. “Where should we start?”“How should I know?” Vicki hugged her arms around herself. “The 1930s are ancient history for me.”“For both of us. I can’t understand why the Doctor isn’t interested in investigating the mystery here.”“The TARDIS is in danger-” “But is it? If it’s as indestructible as he claims, falling off that wall won’t hurt it. So why?”“Maybe he’ll come around? Meanwhile, let’s see what we can find out.”“Which brings me back to my first question: where do we start?”
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“Rowing? That’s actually a sport?” The undergraduate gave Steven a horrified look, so he changed the subject. “Thanks for your help, but I need to check on a friend.”When he found Vicki, she was backing away from another young man. “I’m…very flattered, but I can’t marry you. You see…we only just met.”Steven came to stand behind Vicki and folded his arms. “Everything okay?”“Fine! I’m perfectly capable to taking care of myself. Awww,” she waved her hand at the quickly retreating student, “you’ve scared him away! How am I supposed to find out anything useful now?”
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“Nice man, hmmm yes,” the Doctor muttered after escaping his conversation with Professor Woolf. “A little addled and eccentric, but whether that’s due to the astonishing amount of sherry he drinks or part of becoming a professor at Cambridge is anyone’s guess. Now, where have those two young people gotten to?”Finally he spotted them and gasped in horror. Vicki lay on her back on the cobblestones, her hands held out in an attempt to protect herself. Steven stood over her, holding a large stone above his head.“Steven,” the Doctor cried out, running toward them. “Whatever are you doing?”
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“Not here.” Kim glanced nervously at the door to Professor Lewis’s rooms. “If we must have this conversation-”“I insist,” Steven interrupted.“Fine. Come with me to my and Guy’s room. At least there we’ll have some privacy.” Steven nodded and let Kim lead the way. “I’m confused about why you don’t want Professor Lewis to overhear what we say. Surely you’ve told him everything we’ve found out so far.” “It’s…complicated.”“Isn’t it always?”“I promise I’ll explain everything, just please have a bit of patience.”“Patience.” Steven laughed sarcastically. “You’re the second person to tell me that today.”
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On the far side of the library, the old man made his sixth (or was it seventh?) cup of tea. Although the young woman was unsure if an hour or a day had passed, it seemed an excessive amount for one person to drink.She could try leaving the building but, if the old man had told her the truth, no matter how far she walked she’d only end up back here. “I wish I remembered my name,” she sighed, swinging her feet and barely missing the camera that lay forgotten below the library table, “or how I got here…”
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As Guy and Kim sowed disinformation among the college dons, Steven joined the Doctor at the back of the room. “You sure about this?”“Somehow Professor Lewis is behind the sudden bursts of anger among the students. He clearly desires to become Provost, so we must deny him that. Then we will find a way to rescue Vicki.” “I understand, but there’s a lot we don’t know about Professor Woolf. Can we trust him?”“I believe so.” The Doctor waved his hand vaguely. “He’s…harmless.”“I hope you’re right. Otherwise we’ll be in even more trouble than we are now.”
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“I’ve a plan-”“You and the Doctor and your plans,” Kim sneered. “Isn’t that why we’re in this mess?”“No, but it may get us out of it.” Steven glanced around the corner just as the proctors disappeared inside the lodge. “Someone needs to climb the wall and, at my signal, push the TARDIS into that building.” “You’re not serious!” “Meanwhile, the rest of us will distract the proctors.”“In that case,” Kim said, suddenly serious, “I volunteer to climb.”Guy stared at him. “I thought you hated night crawling?”“I do, but rather that than tangling with those…androids.”
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“Your hair is getting quite long.”Steven looked through it at Vicki. “You’re not wrong. Wondered if the Doctor has scissors?”“He does! Or he did, Barbara used them when she made clothes for me and the Doctor.”“Good. I’ll see if I can clip the worst of this.” He eyed himself in one of the console’s reflective surfaces. “It’s either that or take my chances finding a barber wherever we land-”“Those aren’t the only options,” Vicki replied, affronted, “I could cut it for you.”Steven laughed for a long time, then glanced at her face. “Wait…you’re serious?”
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“Oh come on, Steven,” Vicki chided, following him through the TARDIS. “Stop being such a baby-”“I’m not.” He kept walking away although he couldn’t really avoid her. “I just…I’m not sure I trust you to cut my hair.”“How bad could it be? It’s just hair - it’ll grow back.”“Famous last words. Next I’ll end up looking like a plucked chicken and someone at our next stop will use it as an excuse to shoot us.”“You’re being ridiculous,” Vicki laughed. “Fine. Just wait until it gets into your eyes and you ask to borrow my hair ties-”
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Steven groaned. He hurt all over as if he’d been in a fight. Opening his eyes blearily, he realized he was laying in a small, tube-like space full of exercise equipment and he wasn’t alone.“Vicki!” Steven winced as he rolled over to check on her. She was unconscious but otherwise seemed fine. Suddenly everything came back to him: the TARDIS going haywire, their escape into the colony buildings, the hull breach, rescuing the Doctor, and the man with the gun. “Typical. Vicki handed over it over and he shot us with it. So much for a sign of trust.”
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Vicki gripped Steven’s arm as the crew of Ceres Mining Base casually discussed killing one of them. “Are you sure they don’t know we’re hearing this?” she whispered. “They could be bluffing to scare us.” “To what end? We’re already their prisoners. We'd better come up with an alternative plan for creating breathable air before they put theirs into action.” He paused to think. “Ceres has a lot of ice, doesn’t it?”“Yes.”“And the lights we saw above the planet - the solar sails - they run on hydrogen electrolyzed from water. If we could modify one, we’d have a shot.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“You’re awfully quiet,” Thorn observed as they made their way to the generator room. “Are you worried about your friends?”The Doctor followed him warily. Being alone with Thorn was a risk, but at least this way he could make sure Vicki and Steven were as far away from the murderer as possible. “I’m going over our plan, making sure we haven’t forgotten anything.” “Have we?” “I don’t believe so. But I’ve always prided myself on my ability to vanquish even unforeseen obstacles armed with sound reasoning and the simple application of logic.” He smiled grimly. “No matter the threat-”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Moreland eyed the cryo-pod. “Are you sure everything’s okay?”“The Doctor and I removed all of Thorn’s programming.” Vicki opened the lid. “It’s perfectly safe now. A few hours in here and it’ll fix all the things he did to your mind too.”After a few moment’s hesitation, Moreland nodded and climbed inside. “I knew he didn’t like me, he’d made that clear enough. But to spend years trying to kill me and be willing to kill Qureshi and all of you in the process just to earn more money?”“I know,” Vicki said sadly. “I don’t understand it either.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“We need to escape!”“To go where?” the Doctor snapped. “To do what? What we need now is information and a plan.”Steven balled his fists in frustration. “How are we supposed to learn anything while we’re stuck in this cell?”“By thinking!” The old man stood up straight in defiance of his companion’s anger. “You’re so fond of action, my boy, but some things require patience rather than running around fighting things.”“Please stop arguing!” Vicki pleaded. “It isn’t helping and the pirates will be back soon.” “To force information out of us,” Steven added, glaring at the Doctor.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The door to their cell clanked open. “Looks like we’ve run out of time,” Steven remarked glumly. Their argument forgotten, he put himself between the approaching pirates and the Doctor. “Out,” one of them grunted, “all of you. Now!”The companions walked single file from the cell, down a hallway, and into a white lift. When the lift doors closed, Steven realized the pirates were no longer with them. As it carried them downwards, he pushed passed Vicki to again put himself between the others and danger.Which was why, once the doors opened, the mechanical tethers grabbed him first.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Where are we, Doctor?” “Hmmmm?” He placed the folding chair outside the TARDIS. After fussily settling himself in it, the Doctor squinted up at Sara. “You tell me, my dear.”“If you know, just tell us,” she snapped. Sara was new to the TARDIS and less used the Doctor’s ways. “He likes to see how observant we are,” Steven confided, “but right now all I see is mud.”“We’re in a trench,” Sara ran her hands over the walls, “this is a man-made structure.”“Constructed by someone, certainly-” The Doctor broke off at the sound of a cry. “What’s that?!”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Be careful, both of you!” Steven heard the worry in the Doctor’s voice, but was too busy racing after Sara and toward the strangled yelling to reply. “Slow down,” he hissed, “we still don’t know where we are yet.”“No time.” She ran quickly and quietly, one hand on the weapon holstered at her hip. Steven, even as fit as he was, felt slow and clumsy by comparison. Sara turned a corner and stopped suddenly. Catching up, Steven saw why. A man in a uniform was being slowly suffocated by tendrils of mud as they pulled him into the ground.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Halt!” Colonel Caxton turned abruptly. “Steadman and the others must wait out here.”“Now hold on-” “That letter,” Caxton interrupted Steven, “may grant the Doctor access to all areas, but it doesn’t mention you or,” he eyed Sara, “this woman.”Again, Sara reached instinctively toward her weapon. “Now now,” the Doctor took Sara’s hand and patted it, “we’re all on the same side, are we not? You young people wait here, I shouldn’t be long.” He opened the door to Field Marshal Haig’s office and, with a nod to his companions, entered. Caxton followed, slamming the door closed behind them.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
When Steven asked about his meeting with Haig, the Doctor shook his head and muttered quietly. Giving up after awhile, Steven turned his attention to Sara and Steadman. “Are you two okay? You looked odd after I,” the driver turned, clearly listening in, and Steven reconsidered what he’d been about to say, “…when I got back.”“We’re fine.” Sara’s voice was calm, but her face was cold and expressionless - what Steven thought of as her Space Security Service mask.Captain Steadman was less practiced at hiding his emotions and appeared shaken. Still, he nodded his agreement. “Yes…fine,” he lied.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Doctor,” Steven persisted as the three time travelers entered the TARDIS, “will you finally explain what’s going on here?”“The Battle of the Somme will begin in 5 days,” the Doctor replied gravely, still not meeting their eyes, “a month late, but perhaps we can still repair the Web of Time.”Sara shrugged. “Surely putting history back on track is a good thing?”“It is.” The Doctor looked up with a pained expression. “But you see, over a million men died in this battle.” He sighed. “And now that I’ve made sure it will happen, I’m partially responsible for them.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“We must keep a close eye on what is going on here. Someone…or something has been interfering with history.” The Doctor shuffled out of the wardrobe carrying a stack of clothing. Sara wrinkled her nose in disgust as he handed her a nurse’s uniform. “It’s so impractical!” “True,” he agreed, “but we are more likely to blend in if we pretend to be medical professionals. Here, my boy.” He handed Steven an orderly’s uniform. “What about you,” Steven asked, clearly no happier about this situation than Sara. “What about me?” The Doctor clutched his lapels. “My style is timeless.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Steven had faced Daleks, Cybermen, Rocket Men, the Krayt, not to mention the years he’d spent imprisoned on Mechanus; but he’d never experienced anything like the first three days of the Somme. “So many,” Steven gasped as he and Sara took cover from the shelling. “So many dead and dying, so many lost in No Man’s Land. Have you ever-” “No.” Sara ducked as an explosion showered them in mud, “but every war has its own horror.”“You’re handling it well, better than me anyway-” Sara’s face was unreadable. “I killed my brother. For me…even this pales in comparison.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“What’s wrong?” Steven asked as Sara paced the library. “I’m not used to doing nothing.”He put down the book he was reading. “We’re not doing nothing, we’re relaxing. Besides there’s nothing to do until the Doctor finishes his tinkering.”“I know, but it makes me...uneasy.”“Here,” he moved to make room for her on the couch, “sit down and I’ll read to you. Promise I won’t bite.”“I’d shoot you if you tried.” She smiled tentatively and sat down.The Doctor found them later - curled up side by side, asleep. A copy of Dune lay in Steven’s lap.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
From her vantage point near the top of the hill, Sara watched the Sontarans marching toward the TARDIS. “I can’t get there before them,” she muttered quietly, keeping herself low so she couldn’t be spotted against the ridge line. “There’s far too many for me to fight by myself. Hopefully the Doctor and Steven can stay alive long enough for me to come up with a plan.”The sounds of battle drifted up to her. Sara finally spotted her friends surrounded by seven members of the Space Security Service. “Of course,” she sighed. “Who else would be here right now?”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Come out! That’s an order.” When there was no movement, Sara hissed louder. “If you want your mission to succeed, we need to hurry!”Ellis rolled out of the tent first, gun aimed and ready to fire. He saw her uniform and frowned. “Who are you?”“That’s not important right now, you can see I’m Space Security.”Gage followed him and hurriedly stowed the morphogenic tent in his pack. “You’re not with our unit-““Luckily or I’d be dead already. Want to save the others and have a hope of destroying the space cannon? Then do exactly as I say.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Captain Papas groaned. “Report.”“I’m bruised,” Sara untangled herself from the ropes, “but alive.”“Gage? Ellis?”Ellis helped Gage to his feet. “No bones broken, which seems miraculous.”“Steven is an excellent pilot.” The Doctor beamed with pride. “If anyone could find a way to bring my makeshift parachute down safely, it’s him.”“Speaking of which,” Papas looked around, “where is he?”Sara spotted him first. “Steven? Doctor, he’s not moving.” Rushing to him, she pulled Steven further away from the lava and checked for a pulse. “Please be alright,” she muttered, trying to remain calm. “We can’t lose you.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“If he stays unconscious long, we’ll have to leave him here,” Ellis replied grimly. Clutching Steven’s arm protectively, Sara glared up at Ellis. “We are not leaving him behind.”“Of course not.” The Doctor grabbed his lapels and surveyed the surviving Space Security soldiers. “Besides, we need time to get our bearings. Where is this tunnel system you spoke of?”“Ellis,” Papas gestured for the others to join her a little ways away, “let’s see the map.”With a brisk nod, Ellis located his pack and searched it. “That’s impossible,” he said, frowning, “the map of the caves is gone!”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Steven? Wake up!”“Just…five more minutes,” he grumbled. Feeling someone shake him, Steven reluctantly opened his eyes. “Ian? Vicki?” Amazed, he grasped Ian’s hand. “How?”“That doesn’t matter.” Ian helped him up. “There’s work to do, I’m afraid.”“You don’t understand, the Doctor is dead! And Sara-”Vicki laughed. “The Doctor isn’t dead.” “He isn't?”“No. So don’t give up.” Grinning, she tapped his face lightly, but what he felt was a hard slap, followed by another.Steven woke to find himself still strapped into the Sontaran torture device. “Good.” Slite said, glaring down at him. “We can continue.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Papas scowled. “I don’t like this plan.”Leaning on Sara’s shoulder for support, Steven chuckled ruefully. “Given it means I get tortured again, I can’t say I’m a fan either. But what choice do we have?”“We could attack the Sontarans when they come for you-“The Doctor shook his head. “They’d just kill us here or stun us. Either way, we’d lose the element of surprise. You and Sara must take out the cannon. Tinder will let you out once they’ve taken us away.”“I’ll try to buy you as much time as I can,” Steven promised, “but hurry.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Steven turned away from the crooked wooden cottage and its cozy interior. Searching the snow for the Doctor’s footprints, he slowly followed them back to the TARDIS. He didn’t mind the lack of response to his calls of “Merry Christmas.” After all, Herman was dying, Joseph was no doubt adjusting to becoming part pine tree, and Greta was…well, a six-year-old at Christmas. Still, he felt a little down as he entered the police box.“Don’t look like that,” the Doctor chided. “We can have our own Christmas here, after all! I wonder where Vicki put that box of ornaments?”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Well?” Steven waited by the TARDIS doors. “Aren’t we going out?”“Soon.” The Doctor tapped some sensor readings with a long, bony finger. “Do you see this?”Steven joined him at the console. “Yes, but I don’t know what it means.”“Our landing here wasn’t random. The ship is detecting something.” “A distress signal,” Steven asked. In his experience that was the most likely option. “Nothing so…clear. More like static coming from far underground.” “That sounds interesting.”“Indeed.” “So...are we going to investigate?”The Doctor snorted a laugh. “Yes, yes, but you need to collect some supplies first.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“‘Let’s excavate’ you said.” Steven leaned against the handle of his shovel. “What you really meant was I dig into endless amounts of sand, while you-” Squinting against the blazing sun, he glanced at the Doctor. “What are you doing exactly?” “Trying to determine what we’re dealing with,” the Doctor said absentmindedly, studying pottery shards Steven had unearthed. “And I think I know where we are.”“From those pieces of pottery?”“The writing indicates we are standing in Eridu, one of the first human cities.” “What’s signal static doing in the ruins of an ancient city?”The Doctor nodded. “Quite.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Steven my boy,” the Doctor called, “would you fetch the….er…incandescent lamp?” Steven brought the solar-powered lamp to the Doctor. “Is this wise,” he whispered, handing over the anachronistic technology. “Jessica is right, that tunnel doesn’t look safe.”“Tut tut, don’t worry so.” The Doctor’s eyes twinkled. “Where’s your sense of adventure?”“Where’s your common sense? Let me go first-”“You would leave this lovely young lady up here alone?” The Doctor smiled mischievously. “Hardly gallant of you. Besides, Professor Wood and I will be fine. I’m not so old that I need others to explore mysteries for me.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Steven studied Jessica. She seemed quite at home among the ruins and not at all like he’d expected a Victorian woman to be. And, as the Doctor had hinted, she was very attractive. “Have you been on many archaeological digs?”“Several,” she replied airily. “I join my father on his travels whenever possible.” She gave him an apologetic smile. “He gets so enthusiastic that sometimes he needs someone to…think about the practicalities.”“I know the feeling,” Steven replied ruefully.“I am sure.” She laughed at his surprised expression. “Your Doctor and my father seem to have much in common.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The tall creature looked up as it climbed, revealing a blank mask within which were set two empty eyeholes. Jessica gasped. “What is it?”“I’ve no idea, but it’s heading for us.” Putting himself between the creature and her, Steven backed away. It pointed at them and, after a few failed attempts said, “Danger,” in a muffled voice. “What danger?”“This is a forbidden place. The beacon warns you a threat to your world is buried here. No one may approach.”“Beacon,” Jessica whispered. Steven nodded. “It brought me and the Doctor here, but I’m more interested in this threat.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Steven struggled to his knees. The invisible weaponry the stranger had used had completely knocked the air out of him, but at least the creature hadn’t hurt Jessica yet. “What’s in there,” Steven wheezed.The empty face turned. “Things which you cannot know.” “My father and a friend are within.” Jessica reached out, but hesitated. “They are completely unaware of any danger.”“Irrelevant. This place must be sealed for the safety of your planet.”“Fine,” Steven approached gingerly, “let us get them out first, then you can do whatever’s needed.”The creature considered for a moment and then nodded silently.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The Doctor hurried into the ship, but Steven paused to glance back. Two figures stood silhouetted against the bright blue of the sky at the top of what had once been Eridu. “I wonder if they’ll really keep the secret,” he whispered. “I should think so,” the Doctor called, hurrying around the console. “Now come along, we have places to be.”Steven shook his head wryly, but stepped inside and closed the doors behind him. “You better hope they keep the TARDIS secret as well.”The Doctor grinned. “Never fear, dear boy. As Professor Wood said, ‘Who would believe them?’”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“What if they won’t let us in?”The Doctor bristled as they hurried down the street. “Why wouldn’t they?”“If they’re spies,” Steven explained, impatiently, “and they have stolen the plans for the dreadnought, they won’t want us asking questions. Easiest way to avoid that is not letting us into their home.”
“My dear boy, even German spies-”
“If they’re Germans,” Steven corrected.
“Spies of any sort still have to adhere to social rules. This is Edwardian England,” the Doctor nodded, smiling, “they will see us.”
“And if they’re armed?”
The Doctor shrugged. “We will face whatever comes.”
“Lucky us.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Come on, Dodo!” Karla led the way through the habitation tunnels.”Here’s my room.”Dodo eyed the arrangement with a critical eye. “Not much privacy, is there?” “More than what you get in the main chamber. But there’s a tradeoff: the oxygen is thinner here because we’re further away from the oxygenator.” The other girl shrugged. “Besides, it’s only for a while longer.” She brightened. “Tell me about your family.”Dodo laughed. “I suppose we’re a bit like a family. Steven the protective older brother, the Doctor as the mischievous grandfather, and me,” she twirled, “the youngest and most stylish.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Steven glanced from the container of mining equipment, up to the rapidly descending Rocket Men ship. “We can do better than that! We can fight back!”“Steven-”“Doctor, we don’t have time to argue.” Steven turned to the colonists. “Who’s with me?”Carson frowned but nodded. “Get the others back inside the cave, Jansen. Steven, what’s your plan?”“We leave the oxygenator out as bait and hide ourselves in the habitation units. Doctor, you should probably go with the others.”“No,” the Doctor grabbed his lapels, “if you’re committed to this unwise course of action, I will see it out.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Karla, Dodo, and the settlers raced to get under cover. Suddenly realizing the others weren’t behind her, Dodo leaned out of the cave mouth. She spotted Steven, the Doctor, and several men disappearing into one of the prefabricated buildings near the landing site. “What are they doing?”“Trying to ambush my men.” A man in a brown protective suit with a crested helmet glided to the ground in front of her. Although the helmet’s visor hid his face, Dodo heard the sneer in his voice. “But now who’s gonna protect you lot?” Dodo grabbed the nearest tool to hand. “Me.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Once he’d caught up with the transporter, Steven put Ford’s ship on autopilot. There was work to do and he already knew where the Rocket Men were going. As he pulled Ramírez’s uniform on over his clothes, Steven came to terms with being caught in his own past. Knowing the Rocket Man who’d rescued him years ago was actually an older version of himself was both mind-bending and comforting. At least he knew he’d succeed. With only 10 minutes to spare, he knelt on the decking and took apart the jet pack. Time to learn how the Rocket Men fly.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Get moving!” A Rocket Man shoved Dodo and she stumbled off the ship. Regaining her balance, she struggled forward. It was difficult to walk in her normal way. Something to do with the gravity or lack of air on this planet, she wondered. Regardless, she could work with it. Waiting until the guard behind her was distracted, Dodo elbowed him and ran, allowing the low gravity to give her leaps distance. She heard shouting and weapons fire, but she kept going until a Rocket Man grabbed her. “Dodo! Don’t say a thing,” he whispered in her ear, “it’s me! Steven!”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“…you should…have stayed…inside!” The punches punctuating Van Cleef’s words carried clearly over the radio. “You wet behind the ears, boy? No combat training?”Hidden between the pods, Steven turned off the radio. He remembered the beating, the surgeries, and months of recuperation that followed. Unable to undo any of that, he waited for the inevitable outcome. Shifting, he realized he was sitting on something. Steven reached inside his uniform and pulled out Dodo’s birthday present, the diary. His other hand brushed the cracked tiles on the pod. Maybe there was a chance, however small, to change the inevitable.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“That’s it!” Meg ran to them, smiling. “The last of the Mim have been defeated.” Her smile faltered. “I only wish my parents had lived to see it.”“They would be proud of you, my dear.” The Doctor patted her shoulder. “You led your people well for one so young.”“You should go into politics,” Dodo added. “Help them rebuild the city-“Meg laughed. “I’m not sure I’ll even stay. There’s nothing here for me now.”“You could come with us.” Dodo turned to the Doctor. “Oh please!” “It’s hardly up to me.” He smiled kindly. “That is Meg’s decision.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“You’ll love the TARDIS.” Dodo grabbed Meg’s hand, pulling her along. “And it’ll be nice to have someone traveling with us. The Doctor’s been terribly grumpy since Steven left-”“I have not!” the Doctor cried as he open the TARDIS door. Dodo tried to tug her friend inside but Meg resisted while staring wide-eyed at the interior of the ship. “No…I can’t. It isn’t right!” Dropping Dodo’s hand, she ran toward the ruins of the city. “Something’s wrong. We should go find her-““I doubt that would help, my dear Dodo. I’m afraid the TARDIS just isn’t for everyone.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The summer heat was particularly oppressive in the city of Carthage. “See to the children,” Lady Cressida instructed, gathering her warmest cloak. “I’m going to the temple.”“Alone?” The servant looked horrified. “Do you not wish me to bring your husband or sons?”“Troilus is supervising the new construction and the children have their lessons.” She stuffed the cloak in a bag. “I’ll be fine. Trust me, I’ve faced worse…” She paused and gestured impatiently. “Go on.”Once the woman left, Vicki added several newly finished scrolls to her bag and began the familiar journey to visit an old friend.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
While they waited, the Doctor settled into one of the library chairs and closed his eyes. Something about this situation felt alien, or at least alien to this world, and he needed to think. He could feel Polly watching him worriedly. She was a dear girl, but she needn’t fuss so. He was fine! Just a little tired perhaps, but then this body was beginning to get on a bit in years. All he needed…was a moment…to…About an hour later the Doctor awoke abruptly from a light doze and looked around to see if anyone had noticed.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Shall we walk you back to the library, Miss Wilson?”“No,” Mary said, smiling. “I think the danger has passed. But you’re welcome to stay with me for the night-““A kind offer,” the Doctor interjected, “but we must be on our way.”“Come on Doctor, I think we could all use a rest.” Ben glanced conspiratorially at Polly. “Right, Duchess?”“Right." Polly gave a large yawn. "Fighting aliens and androids is tiring work. Can’t we stay for one night?”“You both have beds on our…conveyance,” the Doctor grumbled, but after looking at their disappointed expressions he gave in.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Polly is falling. Wind tears at her clothes and hair. In the back of her mind she knows she’s about to die, for how can anyone survive a fall from this height? She’s gripped by a feeling of loss, of being ripped away from all happiness, joy, or companionship. She calls out-And finds herself sitting bolt upright in bed with tears on her face. It was a dream. Just a dream.Trying to rid herself of the lingering feelings of sadness, she pulls on some clothes and hurries from her room into the dim whiteness of the TARDIS corridor.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The Doctor bundles his young companions into the TARDIS. The creature he’d freed, as much as it was in his power to do so, spoke of letting go, relinquishing one’s current situation and allowing the inevitable fall to happen. “Poppycock, of course,” the Doctor chuckles, returning to the console. “One should always strive to move forward. Sitting around, allowing things to happen without thought or action? I should think not!”“Doctor,” Polly begins worriedly, “what did the angel mean about you being the last of your kind?”“I’ve no idea, child.” He sniffs dismissively. “Time will tell, it usually does.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The removal men are efficient and professional. It only takes them an hour to pack twenty years of the Jacksons’ life together into a large moving van.Ben waits by the front door as his wife takes one last walk through the empty house. “Ready Pol?”“Yes, I think so.” Slipping the emerald feather into her pocket, she joins him. While Ben locks up, Polly takes a deep breath as if preparing for a great plunge, then exhales with a smile - her earlier fears replaced by the excitement of a new adventure. “Let’s go, Duchess,” Ben says, taking her hand.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Susan returned to a large, empty home. Everywhere she looked conjured memories - painting the walls with David, rocking baby Alex to sleep, and, years later, watching he and Lucie plan their travels from her kitchen table. She needed to get away but she had nowhere to go.The news that Coal Hill School was being turned into flats provided a welcome distraction. As she walked around the building, Susan remembered happier times with her grandfather, Barbara, and Ian. Two weeks later she moved into her apartment there. As she settled in, Susan smiled. She was ready for a fresh start.