Work Text
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 01.01: VanguardChapter 8 - Audio 01.02: EarthfallChapter 14 - Audio 01.03: BridgeheadChapter 18 - Audio 01.04: ArmageddonChapter 24 - Audio 02.01: Power CellChapter 34 - Audio 02.02: Death in GenevaChapter 44 - Audio 02.03: The Battle of the TowerChapter 52 - Audio 02.04: Ice Station AlphaChapter 64 - Audio 03.01: House of SilentsChapter 74 - Audio 03.02: Square OneChapter 78 - Audio 03.03: Silent MajorityChapter 84 - Audio 03.04: In Memory AloneChapter 91 - Audio 04.03: RetrievalChapter 96 - Audio 05.01: The Dalek TransactionChapter 101 - Audio 05.02: InvocationChapter 106 - Audio 05.03: The Sontaran ProjectChapter 109 - Audio 05.04: False NegativeChapter 114 - Audio 03: The Sacrifice of Jo Grant Chapter 120 - Audio 01.04: Narcissus
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Congratulations Osgood!” Grinning, Captain Carter pocketed the device and began swimming to shore. “Your gizmo worked.”“Counter Energy Beam,” Osgood corrected him under her breath. “As long as the outcome is positive, call it whatever you like.” Kate Stewart turned to the man beside her. “Colonel Shindi, get your people to maneuver our alien visitor out of the water and into Osgood’s containment cage. I’ll oversee the transfer back to its ship.”“You heard her, we’re on the clock here.” Walking to down the embankment, he frowned sternly at Josh as he passed. “We’ll talk about your actions later, Captain.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Kate shook her head ruefully. “You were lucky.” “Have to take risks in this line of work." Josh shrugged. "I thought that was the reason you recruited me-”“I recruited you because you’re a creative thinker,” she interrupted. “The last thing UNIT needs is people with a ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ mindset. However, we are still a military organization, which means rules and procedures.” She narrowed her eyes meaningfully. “Orders to be followed…and not just when I give them.”“Yes ma’am, but the Colonel-”“Is an excellent officer and a good man. You should try listening to him.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Leslie Morris.” Jacqui McGee ran a hand through her wig as the security guard inspected her invitation. Another guard handed her an identity badge and she smiled. “Thank you. This way to the reception?”Once inside, she picked up a champagne glass and made a slow circuit of the room. “Interesting mix of politicos and tech types.” She caught sight of a woman near the buffet. “Now that’s interesting. Kate Stewart. She’s not who I’m after…but I’ve never discovered which security service she works for.” Jacqui checked a device in her pocket. “Maybe tonight’s the time to find out?”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Miss Gold.” Simon Devlin stepped away the reception and joined his assistant in a quieter corner of the room. “I trust you’ve investigated that matter at the warehouse?”“The security pass was used by a young man.” Jenna Gold lowered her voice. “A reporter, apparently.” “And where is he now?” “He…assisted us with testing the mobile units. Speed, strategy,” she grinned, “fire power.” “I see.” Devlin stared emotionlessly into the distance, head cocked slightly as if he was listening to something. After a moment, he turned away. “Get me the footage, I’ll want to study it later.”“Yes sir.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Where are you taking me?” Josh locked the handcuffs onto Jacqui’s wrist. “I told you, my boss wants to talk with you.”“Your boss?” The reporter scoffed. “Would that be Kate Stewart?”“I suspect you already know the answer to that, since you bugged and tracked her here.” As Josh led Jacqui to the Range Rover, he glanced behind him. “See if you can get her car out of the ditch, Corporal Bailey.”“What military unit are you with? You’ve no right to hold me prisoner. Something’s going on here and the people have a right to know about it!”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Here we go,” Josh opened the door to Jacqui’s flat and helped her inside, “home sweet home.”“Must get...security pass for Devlin FutureTech launch. Tell Tim-”“You can tell him tomorrow.” He guided her to her couch. “Tonight you’re sleeping off whatever Osgood gave you to wipe your memories.” As soon as he laid her down, Jacqui curled up on her side and closed her eyes. “Exactly. Wish I could do the same right now. Alien crocodiles and crashing Nestene spheres make for a very long shift." Turning off the light, he let himself out. "Good night, Ms. McGee.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Have a restful flight, miss.”Osgood gave the attendant a queasy smile. “Thanks, but I doubt it.” She blanched. “I’m sure the plane’s…fine, I’m just not a great traveler. Plus, I thought I was going to Africa and now I’m off to Mongolia and…anyway.” She took a dose of her inhaler. “Sorry, I babble when I’m nervous.”“I can see that. We are serving drinks on the flight if that-”“Helps? It won’t, I don’t drink. But I downloaded about five years of research papers onto my tablet. That should keep my mind off things for a while-”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Sam glanced at Osgood. “What’s the verdict?”She checked the readings on her tracker against the satellite maps. “I think the Nestene sphere is still at the crash site.” “That’s good news, but we shouldn’t rely on it.” As he drove, he studied the road ahead and behind them. “We could have company any minute.”Osgood nodded absentmindedly. “So…how long have you been with UNIT?”“A few years. You?”“Same. Kate recruited me at college.”“Ah.” Sam smiled. “She recruited me too.”“Really? That makes three of us: you, me, and Josh - sorry, Captain Carter.” She smiled. “Team Stewart.“
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“You sure you don’t want me to come with you, ma’am?”Kate got out of the car. “I’m perfectly capable of asking Mr. Devlin questions without an escort.”“I’m not suggesting otherwise.” Josh lowered his voice. “But if he’s working with the Nestenes, you may need backup.”“Which is why you’re waiting here. If I’m not back in a hour, contact Colonel Shindi in Geneva.”“And then?” “Then come up with a clever way of getting me out of there that doesn’t call for a full-on raid of one of our most prominent and politically connected corporations.” “Is that all?”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Miss Gold?”“Simon, we’re close but we’re not the only ones here. There’s a Land Rover closing in on the crash site. A woman in a long scarf and glasses and a man who looks…military of some sort. They could be from UNIT.” “Hmm, interesting. I trust you’ll ensure that we won’t be beaten to that particular contract?”“Yes Simon. I’ll take care of it and them, if that’s what you want?” “Absolutely. Goodbye.” Devlin hung up the call and smiled disarmingly at Kate Stewart . “My apologies. Sometimes my people feel they have to consult me on every decision-”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Let me go!” Osgood struggled against the two Autons. “These things are dangerous-”“Of course they are,” Jenna laughed, “that’s why they’re so useful. Now, you’re going to tell me where our energy unit is-” “Your what?”At a gestured from Jenna, the Autons tightened their grip until Osgood yelped. “This can go quickly and relatively painlessly or slowly and agonizingly.” She leaned closer. “Where. Is. It.” “I don’t know! We’d just arrived when you fired on us and…killed Sam.”“We’ll see.” Jenna turned to the third Auton. ”Get us out of here. We can question her again later.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Hello?” Josh Carter knocked on the lab door, but Osgood barely moved. “Earth to Osgood-” “Sorry?” Finally, she looked up. “Oh. It’s you, Josh.”“Try not to sound so delighted, people will talk.” His typically jovial manner became serious. “I’m heading out soon. Have you found anything I can use?”“I think I’ve discovered why the Nestene energy units are being sent where they are, but that won’t help with your undercover work.” She studied him for a moment. “You will be careful, won’t you?”He waved as he left. “You know me.”“Yes,” she muttered, “that’s why I’m worried.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Kate’s hologram flickered before disappearing. Josh stashed the device in his pocket and quietly moved away from the stall door so his feet couldn’t be seen. He heard footsteps followed by a phone ringing. “Sorry, it’s hard to make a call discreetly,” a man said, which caught the captain’s attention. Evidently he wasn’t the only one using the bathroom for secret meetings. “What are you talking about? I did! We met before the launch.” The man walked closer and Josh held his breath. “I’ll be there in half and hour,” yelled the woman on the phone, “and you’ll meet me-“
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“So that’s who our mystery man was meeting.” Josh paused behind a lobby kiosk and pretended to tie his shoes. “Jacqui McGee. What’s she thinking about just walking in here?” A FutureTech security guard approached the reporter and she tried to push past him. Josh chuckled. ”Yeah, that never works.” Right on cue, the guard seized Jacqui’s arm and pulled her through a side door. Josh sighed. “Leave it to you to mess with my timetable. Guess I better make sure you don’t get into too much trouble.” He stood, checked his tablet, and followed the pair at a distance.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“What’s happening?”Kate glared at Jacqui. “They’re kidnapping us, obviously. No doubt we’re headed straight to FutureTech. “How’d your soldier become one of those…things?”“The Autons must have made the swap at the TV studio, which means he’s probably dead. I’m so sorry Corporal Davis-”“Forget him, we have to escape!” Jacqui glanced around frantically. “Devlin’s already tried to kill me once today.”“You’re all heart. And you’re welcome to try your luck escaping, but I don’t think much of your chances.” Kate sat back. “You wanted a scoop, Ms. McGee, and I think you’re about to get one.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Josh screamed.“A total of 53 needles are now entering your limbs, your spine, and your brain stem. And this,” Devlin grinned as Josh pulled against the restraints, “is liquid polymer being injected into your body, into your legs as it envelops your femur, your tibia, your arms-”Devlin continued talking but Josh could no longer understand. As the plastic hardened around his skeleton, he struggled to remain conscious. Something brushed gently against Josh’s mind, moving in to take over his thoughts and movements.Devlin ordered the restraints released and smiled at the newly created vessel of the Nestene Consciousness.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“How you holding up?”Osgood shrugged. “I’m too busy to think about that.”Something disrupted the video feed, but after a moment Sam was back. “Which is why I’m surprised you’re calling me.”“I think there’s something in the Dark Archives we could use against the Nestene.”“Great, you should tell Kate and Shindi-”“You don’t understand. I don’t know where it is! I saw it on a list of missing items and I don’t have time right now to go through paperwork looking for it.”“And you want me to?” He nodded. “Okay, tell me what I’m looking for.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Pay attention everyone.” Colonel Shindi looked over his soldiers. “Auton forces are approaching Tower Bridge. Their target appears to be our headquarters in the Tower of London.” He paused and paced slowly. “We’ve also received reports Captain Josh Carter is leading them.”A murmur began among the troops and Shindi held up his hands. “Whether the Captain has been coerced, brainwashed, or whether this is an Auton duplicate created to look like him is unknown. Regardless, he should be treated as a hostile agent and met with lethal force.” “We have a job to do, UNIT. Let’s get to it.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“What’s that,” Jacqui yelled, “another message from your bosses? ‘Sorry for abandoning you to certain death?’”“They haven’t,” Osgood began, pausing as she read the alert. “But that’s…Josh’s biometrics.” She typed a few commands and a video feed popped up on her laptop showing Captain Carter leading a troop of Auton’s down a corridor. “Oh no.” “Are they on their way here?”“Not yet.” Her eyes lit up. “But that’s brilliant.”“What?”“If I remove the secondary security on certain doors, I can make them come here.”“Why would you do that?!”Osgood pocketed something small. “I’ve a plan.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Shindi held the torch higher. “If they find it on you-”“I’ll have it sewn into my coat on the way.” Kate held up the vial and examined the liquid within. “Anti-plastic. It’s amazing any of it survived.” She stood quickly. “Come along, Colonel. We need to get to London.”“Yes ma’am. I still think you should take someone with you-”“If the Autons see soldiers, they’ll kill us all. The only chance I have to get into FutureTech and take down that dome is if I go alone. Besides, you need to find Osgood and take our headquarters back.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Jacqui joined Osgood at her worktable. “What now?”“This crystal emitter is blocking the Nestene control signal.” The reporter gestured to where Josh lay unconscious on the floor. “Which is what knocked out your friend there.” “Right,” Osgood inserted the crystal into a flexible metal collar, “and, when he wakes up, he should be himself again. Hopefully.”“Hopefully?” “I’m 92% certain.” Kneeling beside him, she slipped the collar around Josh’s neck. “He’ll need to wear it until I come up with another solution.”“Well,” Jacqui smirked, “Devlin did call him your boss’s lapdog.” Osgood glared at her. “That isn’t funny.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Any news?”Osgood glanced up, then returned to staring through the infirmary window. “Devlin has been unconscious since the destruction of the Nestene creature.” Josh came to stand beside her. “And the Colonel?”She swallowed hard. “They’re still working on him. It’s…too soon to say-”“Hey,” he gently touched her arm, “this wasn’t your fault.”“But if I’d turned the beam, he wouldn’t have been shot!”“Like Kate said, collapsing the dome was the priority. You did that. Besides,” he smiled weakly, “Kate ordered the Colonel to live and you know what a stickler he is for following orders.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Josh was still drying off his hair when he wandered into Osgood’s lab. “Thought I’d never get clean. Who knew exploding, extraterrestrial hedgehogs could cause such a mess?” He caught her expression. “What’s that face for?”“Do you miss having a normal life?”“My skeleton is made of super-strong alien plastic. Any chance I had for a normal life is long gone.”“You know what I mean. A normal job, friends, and the fate of the world not hanging in the balance every moment-” Josh smiled at her. “Come on Osgood, we both know you’d be completely bored with normal.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“…evidently, Professor Harrison has been missing for at least two days.”“Oh?” Dr. Eastwood frowned. “Has anyone checked his home?”Felicity Lyme leaned back in her chair. “No, but this could provide us with a fantastic opportunity to…consolidate our assets before the project launch.” Eastwood’s eyes twinkled. “Are you saying you want me to take over the professor’s research?”“And examine any other extraterrestrial oddities he may have requested from UNIT.” “I doubt they’ll like that, if they find out.”“If they find out, then we’ll deal with them.” Felicity chuckled. “Anyway, what can they do about it now?”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Hi Osgood! It’s Jay Roy...from college?” The caller chuckled nervously. “You probably already know that from the caller ID. Just wondered if you’d be interested in joining me and Jeff tonight for a pub quiz. It’d be great to see you, I mean it’s been far too long. Plus, we could use your help. There’s this other team that keeps beating us every week and it’s really annoying. Just…give me a call, okay? Bye.”Osgood stared at her phone for a moment before pressing redial. “Jay? Hi! Yeah, a pub quiz sounds…great. 7 o’clock? See you there.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Kate frowned. “Who in the government asked Lyme Industries to take charge here?” “The Department of Energy and Environment,” Felicity smiled coolly, “specifically, Sir Peter Latcham. Do you know him? Lovely man, such a humanitarian-”“I’m sure,” Kate interrupted, “and while I don’t understand his department’s interest in our work, that’s a discussion for another time. Right now, I want all of the artifacts and Harrison’s notes returned to UNIT.”“I’m afraid that’s not possible.” “I’ll stress again the highly confidential nature of these items-”“We have an excellent track record for security, which is why they’ll remain with us.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
They stopped on a quiet street. “Number 45. This should be Professor Harrison’s home.”Osgood got out of the car and walked to the front door. “Have the police been here?”“I doubt Lyme Industries alerted anyone to his disappearance, so probably not.” Josh tried the handle. “Locked-”“Oh! I have something for that.” Smiling, Osgood began searching her pockets.“Don’t bother, I’ll have it down in a second.” “That’s not necessary-” Osgood winced as Josh punched the door.“What’s the point…” [Punch] “…of super-strength…” [Punch] “…if you don’t…” [Punch] ”…use it?” The door splintered and he gestured triumphantly. “See?”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Incoming text…Jay: I need to see you.Osgood: I’m at work and swamped. What’s wrong?Jay: We need to talk in person. It’s important. Osgood: OK, how about tonight?Jay: That’s too long. Please Osgood!Osgood: Fine. A friend is going to cover for me, but I won’t have long.Jay: Thanks. When can you get to the Bread Street bus stop near One New Change? Osgood: 15 min.?Jay: Meet you there. Please hurry.——Osgood pocketed her phone. “Thanks Josh. I’ll be back in an hour.” “No problem.” He smiled knowingly. “Say ‘hi’ to your not-boyfriend for me.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Kate walked into the lab. “Where’s Osgood?”“Ah,” Josh fumbled with some sheets of paper, “she just stepped out.”“In the middle of an investigation? That’s not like her.”“Something…personal came up.”“That’s even more unlike her.” Kate silenced him with a gesture. “I need options for getting our artifacts back.”“Can’t we just take them?”“I’d prefer something more subtle than a full assault on a public university.”“A small group: two people to retrieve the items and one to drive the getaway car.”“You, me, and Osgood staging a smash and grab?” Kate smiled. “I like it.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“That was a complete disaster.” Josh looked behind them. “At least no one’s following.”Osgood kept driving. “What happened?”“Someone attacked Eastwood and the guards,” Kate pulled off her gloves, “then blew up the building to cover their tracks.” “That’s horrible! The artifacts?”“Already moved to Lyme’s Canary Wharf facility, which is very convenient-”“You think Lyme Industries is behind the explosion and the missing scientists?” Josh shook his head. “Why attack their own people?”“I don’t know. You two get some sleep. Osgood, meet with Jay tomorrow. Josh, you’re with me first thing. Hopefully by then I’ll have plan.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The Cerberus soldiers rolled out crates of various sizes on hand trucks. “Jenkins, Walker, Eze, Campbell, Garcia - take over for these,” Josh narrowed his eyes, “gentlemen. The rest of you, move out slowly and calmly. We’ve got what we came for.” The UNIT troops formed a circle with the artifacts at their center. As they retreated, Lyme’s mercenaries matched them step for step. Once the boxes were loaded, Josh joined Kate. “Why the fuss if she was going hand them over?”“Exactly. Let’s get back to headquarters and then collect Osgood. It’s time we took this to a higher authority.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Kate hung up her phone. “The artifacts are safely stowed in the Black Archive, so that’s one problem solved.”“Your flight to Geneva should be ready to leave in an hour.” Josh slipped into the backseat of Kate’s car. “Any luck getting hold of Osgood?”“No. She’s not answering texts and calls go straight to voicemail.”“That’s not good.”“Which is why we’re heading there.” Kate leaned forward. “Anna, you know the address. Quickly please.”Her driver nodded. “Yes ma’am!” “Josh, check on Osgood when we arrive, but be very careful. Whoever killed Harrison and Eastwood may already be onsite.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“…an hour until we reach Geneva.” Kate settled into her seat. “Do you feel up to talking about what happened in your flat?”Osgood took a dose of her inhaler. “There were two of them. We hid in the bathroom until Josh showed up. He got rid of one, but when he tried the same thing on the other…it’s like it knew.”“A shared consciousness or telepathy perhaps?”“Maybe? Jay…lured them back into the flat and exploded a plasma grenade. He saved us.”“I’m sorry. And I promise, we’ll do everything we can to stop whoever killed him.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Something splintered the windshield. Josh’s last thought before the car swerved was that it looked more like an energy projectile than a bullet. Anna gasped as she tried to regain control. The car burst through a guardrail and careened down a hill toward a forest, flipping over as it fell. Josh came to upside down and struggled with his seatbelt. “What happened?” Anna groaned.“We were shot at. You okay?”“I think,” she moved and cried out, “my leg’s broken.”“We can’t stay here-”A dark blur broke through the driver’s side door and dragged Anna screaming into the darkness.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Off again, Lieutenant? You just got here-”“Yeah,” Sam smiled at the corporal, “places to be. The Chief around? She asked me to stop by-”“No and I’m not sure where she’s gone. She left Captain Carter in charge, although he’s had a rough night.”“Oh?”“He was traveling back to London in Kate’s car when he was shot at. Burgess was killed and her body went missing.” “Their attackers took her body?” Sam frowned. “That’s…weirder than normal. How’s Josh?”“The doctors cleared him. He’s probably in his office by now.”Sam headed down the hallway. “Thanks, I’ll check.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Josh?”“Kate? Are you both okay?”“Yes, thanks to your warning. Osgood was attacked, but we got there in time to save her.”Josh grinned as he and Sam hurried toward the helicopter pad. “You can thank Sam for that too. He helped me figure out what was going on.”“I’ll need a full report later-”“Yes ma’am. I’m on my way to you now.” He had to yell over the noise of the helicopter. “I’ll call when I reach Geneva.” Josh hung up and clapped Sam on the back. “Thanks for letting me share your ride.”“Anything to help-”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Osgood made sure General Avary and his people were out of earshot before whispering to Kate, “What’s going on?”“The General contacted London about our theories and guess who showed up.” “Felicity Lyme?”Kate chuckled. “No, but close. Sir Peter Latcham, who I’m starting to think is more in the employ of Lyme Industries than Her Majesty’s Government.”“Is General Avary involved too?”“I don’t think so. He wasn’t happy with Latcham, that’s for sure.” “What now?”“We look into these murders and find out what connection they have with the deaths in London, your mysterious attackers, and Lyme Industries.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Great views.” Josh looked out from the helicopter cockpit at Mont Salève. “How long until touch down?”“Five minutes, but you’ll have a walk after that.” The pilot glanced over at him. “The landing site isn’t anywhere near the crime scene.”“You have a ladder onboard, no need to land.”“Sir, that’s unnecessarily dangerous-” The pilot paused. “Speaking of which, is someone on top of that cable car?”“It’s one of the enemy, and I’d bet a year’s pay Osgood’s inside.” Josh readied his weapon and opened the door. “Hurry! If you can get me close enough, I’ll stop him.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Oh, what’s the use,” Josh grumbled, joining the UNIT troops in a cordon around the spaceship. “I’ve just spent the day traveling through several countries, trying to keep you both safe, only to watch you put yourselves at risk…again.” A young soldier frowned at him. “Sir?”“Never mind, Private. Just focus on that ship and shoot whatever comes out after our people.” Osgood called out to the aliens and for a moment nothing happened. Then Kate, Osgood, and the ship all disappeared. Josh rushed forward and skimmed his hand along the energy field. “Sometimes I really hate being right.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Grant Avary gritted his teeth and screamed as he tried to keep his mind blank. Despite his efforts, Dokan’s machine forced it’s way deep into his thoughts, searching for the face of the woman standing outside the Kamishi spaceship. Information passed from General Avary to Dokan in a flash and the alien smiled. He watched her negotiate treaties, research plagues, and walk alone into danger. “The woman…Kate Stewart...she is not a warrior, but she leads warriors. Ah, she has experience of alien species.” Avary scoffed. “She has experience kicking them off this planet and, news flash, you’re next!”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Kate kept pace with Avary while the others hurried ahead. “You didn’t have to see us off. It’s been a difficult day and you’ll have a lot on your hands.”“I wanted to say goodbye and good luck.” Grant was moving slower since his ordeal, but his eyes were bright. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you sooner.”“You came through in the end.”“Did I? The Kamishi know what they’re looking for is in the Tower of London, thanks to me.”“It’s because you resisted for as long as you did that we know that. Now, we can prepare.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Kate looked up from her phone and smiled. Osgood was asleep in the seat across from her, too exhausted after days of stress and wakefulness to be anxious about the flight. Josh sat nearby, also seemingly asleep, but his eyes flickered open as she glanced at him.“Everything okay, boss?”“So far. Tower security upgrades are in place and the Yeomen Warders are being briefed. Our people are unboxing the items we took from Lyme Industries. Everything should be prepared for our arrival.” “I’ll check our ETA with the pilots.” He stood and stretched. “Have to earn my keep somehow.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Josh grappled with the Tengobushi warrior. Despite his enhanced strength, they were evenly matched and he struggled to gradually push the alien backwards. “Come on, chum...back from the door.”Switching tactics, the Tengobushi released Josh and created an energy missile near the UNIT officer’s head. With a hiss, the creature fired, forcing him to dive out of the way.“Close,” Josh taunted,” but not close enough.”The assassin fired again, this time at the cabin door. As Josh scrambled to avoid being sucked outside, the Tengobushi used the rushing air to propel himself onto the wing of the plane.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The plane hit the ocean, splashing water over the windshield and jolting the three surviving passengers in their harnesses. “I’ve had worse landings,” Josh quipped, flicking off the controls. “Everyone okay?”“Yes.” Freeing herself, Kate helped Osgood stand. “How long until we sink?”“Not long.” He hurried into the cabin. “Get onto the wing, but be careful. I’ll grab the raft.” Osgood pushed at the remains of the cabin door. “What happened to the Tengobushi?”“Sinking to the ocean floor, with any luck.”“Good job, Captain.” Kate gripped the door frame. “Help better arrive quickly, we’ve no time to waste.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Drying herself off from a hasty shower, Osgood pulled a question mark jumper, t-shirt, and khakis out of a drawer in her lab. “Glad I stashed a few things for research all-nighers,” she mused, securing a cat pin on her jumper, “given my flat’s been blown up.”“Talking to yourself again?” Josh knocked but didn’t enter. “You decent yet? Kate wants us to meet her in Ops ASAP.” “I’m always decent,” Osgood narrowed her eyes teasingly as she passed him, “unlike some people.”Grinning, Josh jogged to catch up. “Guess I’ll have to try harder to be a bad influence.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Unhand me!” Felicity Lyme jerked away from Josh as he led her into Kate’s office. “When I’m done with you and your boss, you’ll find yourselves not only out of a job, but facing several lawsuits. You can’t kidnap honest businesswomen-” “Your honesty is a questionable as your threats,” Josh closed the door and folded his arms, “and neither impress me. Have a seat. If you’re lucky, Ms. Stewart won’t keep you long.” “Ms. Stewart,” Felicity sneered. “Where did she find you, Brixton or Belmars? You clearly have criminal inclinations.”"Sandhurst actually, although I completely understand how you’d confuse them.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Sam?”“Josh,” his voice was friendly but professional, “you just caught me. I’m heading to Qatar-”“Change of plans.” Josh stepped out of the way of Operations personnel readying the Tower’s defenses. “The boss wants you in Santiago, Chile.”“Sure, can you tell me why?”“Remember that thing we were dealing with when I last saw you?”“The attacks on Anna and Osgood-”“There’s a connection with Lyme Industries. Their CEO is heading to Santiago and Kate wants you there first.”“Okay. I’ll do some digging, prep a few resources-”“And keep it quiet, we’ve had leaks. Good luck, Sam.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Osgood carefully placed the Kamishi energy cell in a containment unit. “This should isolate you from any ambient energy fields. You’ve nearly blown up the Black Archive twice, Kate’d kill me if I let it happen again. Now, what can I use to turn you into a ‘last resort’ weapon for our side?” She glanced at the toppled shelving and artifacts laying scattered across the floor. “It’d be easier if things weren’t such a mess, but there’s no time for tidying.” Picking up her tablet, she scanned the inventory. “Wait,” she whispered, backing up a few entries, “that might work-”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Kate picked up Osgood’s device and hurried out of Ops. In the distance she heard automatic weapons fire as Josh led Osgood and the last of the UNIT troops to a submersible below the building. Kate smiled sadly. “Take care of them for me, Captain.” Turning, she headed up the stairs to Sir Walter Raleigh’s rooms. “There aren’t too many options, so the desk will have to do.” After she’d hidden the device, Kate turned on her radio. “This is Kate Stewart. I am speaking to Dokan. If you want your energy cell, join me upstairs in the Bloody Tower-”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Give me strength!” Josh handed Kate a coffee. “Our hitchhiker giving you trouble?”“Sir Peter is one of the most annoying men I’ve ever met, and I’ve met a fair few.” She took a sip. “Bless you, Joshua. Osgood, tell Malcolm to put a hologram over…” Kate paused. “What’s on your hand?”Osgood looked down and blanched. “Oh no! I forgot to take it off!”“Is that…part of the Crown Jewels?” Slowly she turned to glare at Josh.“Uhhh,” he shifted nervously, “we were trapped in the Jewel House and it seemed like a good idea at the time?”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Colin!” Sam smiled at the woman he’d met on the flight to Antarctica. “Jane. What’d you think of Ms. Lyme’s presentation?” “It’s impressive. Could make us all very rich.”“And Lyme Industries even richer.” “Assuming Felicity’s promises hold up.” Jane thumbed through a stack of documents. “I’ll be awake all night reading this lot, for all the good it’ll probably do me. My scientists will have a field day. I see you picked up a packet too?” “Of course! Northern Powerhouse may be a small fry, as you say, but knowledge is power.”She lifted her glass. “To unlimited power!”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
When Swordfish One landed at the secret base under Gibraltar, Sir Peter was one of the first to stumble onto dry land. “You’re looking a bit green.” Josh patted his shoulder. “There are bathrooms upstairs.”“Yes. Yes, thank you…” As the UNIT troops received their orders, Sir Peter hurried upstairs. “You,” he called to the first non-UK-based soldier he spotted. “I’m Sir Peter Latcham. Confine to barracks all the personnel on that sub and,” he smiled, “lock Captain Carter and Miss Osgood somewhere secure while I see to Kate Stewart.”“By whose orders?”“On the orders of Her Majesty’s Government!”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Josh paced the storage room while Osgood hacked the terminal. “So…what’ve we got?”“Sam’s message about Lyme’s Antarctic generator base and deep space images of an approaching spacecraft,” Osgood tilted her head, “which is probably the Kamishi.”“Unless we’ve gotten really unlucky and annoyed two alien superpowers on the same day. Options?”“I can unlock the doors, but what then?”Josh joined her at the computer. “Is Project Peregrine still here?”“Yes, but getting to it…” Osgood snapped her fingers. “The incursion procedures!”“You want to gas the base?” She smiled. “Just until we can free Kate and escape.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Within Swordfish Three’s small hold, Kate and Osgood studied the schematics Sam had acquired of Alpha Station. “This is the weakest spot.” Osgood pulled out a topographic map. “It’s deep, but if we set up explosives here and here it should destabilize the system.”“We won’t be able to sneak anything large into the building,” Sam called from the cockpit, “and they do have parameter guards.”“We need a distraction.” Kate surveyed the four of them. “Josh, you go with Osgood to blow up the generator. Sam, you’re with me. We’ll keep Felicity Lyme looking in all the wrong places.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The Cerberus soldier led Sam away.“Since you’ve made such an effort to reach us,” Felicity smiled gloatingly at Kate, “perhaps you’d like a tour of our facility? It’s likely to be the last moment of relative freedom you’ll have. What does UNIT do with rogue agents?”“I’d love to.” Kate smiled back, ignoring the gibe and seeming as relaxed as if this were a social call. “After all, you used information from our research and top secret artifacts to build this base and caused the deaths of many innocent people. I’d like to see what it was all for.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The Tengobushi advanced on Osgood but Josh stepped in front of her, blocking their way. She retreated, clutching the explosives as an assassin launched himself at the captain. The two scrambled in the snow for leverage, but the alien soon gained the upper hand. Slipping behind him, the Tengobushi wrapped an arm around Josh’s neck, strangling him. The UNIT soldier struggled in his grip but couldn’t escape.“Josh!” Osgood screamed in panic. “Hold, my Tengobushi.” The assassin froze instantly, then threw Josh to the snow in front of an approaching hooded figure. Josh rubbed his neck and stood cautiously. “Dokan!”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Let me guess, they’re not just dropping in to say ‘hi.’” With one eye on the approaching Cerberus troops, Sam started up the transport buggy. “No.” Osgood’s voice sounded strained over the radio. “They’re going to obliterate the planet. Josh and I are trying to convince one of the aliens, Dokan, to intercede with his people on our behalf.”“Keep it up. Kate’s with Lyme. I’ll head to Swordfish Three to contact Scott Base about the spaceship. While I’m at it, I’ll call the nearby governments. I’m sure they’ll have something to say about Cerberus’s presence in a non-militarized zone.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“No! I’ve already lost one good friend this week. I don’t know if I-” Josh pulled Osgood to him and kissed her softly. When he let go, she blinked at him. “What was that for?”He tried to speak but was lost for words. “Because you’re,” Josh tried again, “you’re …go! That’s an order, Osgood. Go!”She took a dose of her inhaler, a jumble of emotions showing on her face. Finally, she turned away and began to climb.Josh smiled as he took hold of the emission gate. “Keep being amazing, Osgood. Maybe we’ll meet again in another life.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Are you ready?”Josh braced his shoulder against the emission gate to hold it open. “I’m ready.”Dokan triggered an explosion within the generator and white light flooded Josh’s senses. All that remained was noise and fire, followed by a deep silence. When Josh opened his eyes he was standing in a pillar of light surrounded by darkness. “Dokan? What happened? Did we fail?”“Dokan has fulfilled his purpose,” a deep voiced said, the sound vibrating the air.“Does that mean he’s dead? Wait…am I dead?” “You stand among the Kamishi. Your actions interest us. We would know more-”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“…if I had to die to prove our sincerity in order to save this world,” Josh shrugged, “so be it. Anyone in UNIT would have done the same.”“So we see in the minds of others of your caste.”“You mean UNIT?” He shielded his eyes, trying to see who was speaking. “Kate and Osgood? Sam? Are they okay?”“Control speaks with us. Intelligence and Guile attend her, but they miss their Strength.” “Yeah…I’m not even going to pretend I know what that means.” “We would reward your sacrifice.” A path appeared before him. “Walk forward into the light.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
They materialized back in snowy Antarctica. Around them lay the sleeping bodies of Felicity Lyme, her Cerberus soldiers, and the helicopter crews from the neighboring territories. Sam chuckled. “These Kamishi don’t do things by halves, do they?”“It’s lucky they could administer the memory agent from a distance.” Osgood gestured around. “This would’ve taken us hours to achieve.”“Now we’re left with a bunch of sleeping people who need to be moved and debriefed.”Kate led the way to a transport buggy. “Sam, call Scott Base for assistance. Osgood, Josh - collect their weapons while I figure out a cover story.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Josh adjusted Swordfish Three’s sensors from the co-pilot’s chair. “I suppose we’re not still considered rogue?” “Kate’s sorted all that apparently, except for one loose end-”“Sir Peter.” Josh grinned. “To be a fly on that wall.” “Speaking of which,” Sam began casually, “up in the Kamishi spacecraft, you mentioned something happening under the ice?”“You know how it is,” Josh tried for nonchalance and failed, “when you think you’re about to die-”“No,” his face was serious, but Sam’s eyes twinkled, “how is it?”Josh glanced surreptitiously at Osgood. “You end up saying and doing lots of...impulsive things.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Colonel,” Kate smiled to hear his voice, “ready to go back on active duty?”“Beyond ready. I’ve been going stir crazy.”“And your legs?”When Shindi spoke again, his voice lacked enthusiasm. “They’re…coming along.”Kate caught the change, but continued anyway. “Good. While you’re recuperating, I have a job for you.” She glanced over a file. “Osgood’s equipment picked up a huge energy spike in Hampstead. I need someone with tact and experience to surveil the neighborhood.”“You want me on Observations?”“I can’t image anyone better suited for this assignment.”He sighed. “It’ll make a change, I suppose…”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Ah! My ride.” Shindi turned his wheelchair around and headed for the door. Two UNIT soldiers soon arrived to collect his belongings and help him into the back of a van. Once inside, he heard a voice he recognized. “Good morning, Colonel!”“Captain Carter,” Shindi frowned, “just my luck.”“Luck had nothing to do with it, sir.” Carter grinned into the rearview mirror. “I volunteered to drive you.”“If I’m being put out to pasture, you might as well be the one to take me.”Josh’s grin faltered. “With all due respect, I don’t think that’s what’s happening.” “We’ll see.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Colonel Shindi called today.” Osgood moved restlessly. “It was pretty…odd.”“How so?”“He was in a panic, said something was happening at the Faversham’s house, and then seemed to forget everything. In fact he thought I called him.”“I see.” Kate leaned back in her chair. “He’s filed some unusual reports as well, very unlike him.” “Do you think,” Osgood paused, looking guilty, “it has something to do with his injury?”“Perhaps. If the physical damage was repaired-”“It was.”“Maybe there’s some lingering mental trauma? Visit him, Osgood. I’d like someone who knows him to assess the situation.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“I’ll take a position by the barrier.” Josh looked up at the London Eye. “Should be able to see you all the way around. Over.” “Josh-” Kate’s voice disappeared into static.“What was that, ma’am? Over.” More static was the only reply. “Dammit, I knew this was a trap.” He raced back to the security barrier, reaching it as the Eye started moving. “Is Kate Stewart still onboard,” he asked the attendant.“Yes, and the other party as well.”“Describe them!”“A woman, attractive, Scottish accent. Said her name was Jacqui McGee-” Frowning, Josh searched for Kate’s pod. “Oh great.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“If it isn’t Josh Carter,” Jacqui sneered as she and Kate stepped out of the pod. “Led any alien armies lately?”He ignored her. “Everything alright, ma’am?”“Yes, but there’s something you need to see.” Kate suddenly looked confused. “Although I can’t remember what-”Jacqui handed him the iPad. “Watch the video.”Moving over to the side, Josh looked at the tablet. “That’s Miss Faversham’s house. Who are those people? They don’t move quite right and-” Looking up, he blinked. “What was I saying?”“Exactly. When you look away you forget them.” Jacqui restarted the video. “Watch it again. Concentrate.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The creatures dropped down from their perches on the ceiling of Miss Faversham’s attic. Osgood kept losing track of how many of them there were - ten, twenty, forty, perhaps more. “Oh crikey,” she gasped, reaching for her inhaler. “Keep your silence.” One of the aliens closest to her gestured and she found herself lowering her communicator. “You will go downstairs, Petronella Osgood, and you will forget everything you have seen.”“I really won’t!” Osgood turned and frowned. “Where am I?” Shrugging, she left the room. “Better join Kate downstairs.”Behind her, the Silence watched Osgood leave and whispered among themselves.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“But Kate-”“Go Josh! That’s an order!” She heard him step through the window and onto the roof of the house. Meanwhile, Kate kept her attention fixed on the tall, grey aliens in front of her. “I am unarmed, alone, so talk to me…please.” “There is no negotiation. There is only what the Silence want,” one creature raised its hand and pointed at Kate, “and you will provide.”“If you tell me what you want, maybe we can-”“Return to your fallen troops, Kate Stewart,” the Silence forced her back out of the attic, “then we will talk further.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Josh leapt from the roof of Miss Faversham’s house and landed on his feet like a cat. “Come in Greyhound Two, this is Greyhound Three. I’m clear.” He lowered his communicator. “Clear of what though?” Turing, he froze as an alien approached. “Oh yes, there’s that.”“You are ideal, Josh Carter,” the Silence wheezed. “Reckless, independent-”“Have we met before?”“Silence must fall.” The alien flung an energy bolt at Carter’s chest. With a cry, he collapsed. “You will become our creature.” The Silence hovered over him. “You will watch all broadcasts about Kenneth LeBlanc. You will trust this man.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
They woke on the floor of an empty room. “What…happened,” Kate rubbed her head. “I can’t seem to remember.”“We were investigating…something,” Osgood helped Colonel Shindi to his feet. “Ugh! The memory keeps slipping just out of reach.”“There were reports of strange people at Miss Faversham’s residence.” Shindi looked around. “Which is apparently where we are. I…think I heard gunfire? All of you,” he gestured at the UNIT soldiers waking up around them, “search the house. Work in pairs and be careful.”“At least everyone’s alive.” Kate did a double-take. “Wait, wasn’t Captain Carter with us?”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Osgood looked up from her phone. “What about the Faversham house? Weren’t we going to visit her?” “It seems Miss Faversham has left the country.” Kate shrugged into her coat. “She finally got tired of the press scrutiny. And you never saw anything to warrant further investigation, correct Colonel?” “That’s right, it’s just a normal street. Nothing of interest at all.”“Good,” Carter opened the door for Kate, “we certainly have other, more important things to do than chasing Jacqui McGee’s conspiracy theories.”“I can’t even remember why we took her concerns so seriously-” “That’s settled.” Kate waved. “Goodnight everyone!”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Sam tried to focus on the report he was writing, but his earlier conversation with Josh kept running through his head. They had always gotten along well before, so Carter’s hostility was surprising. “All to defend that complete plonker, Kenneth LeBlanc,” Sam wonder aloud and shook his head. “I know Josh is young, but I thought he had better sense than that. Not only that, LeBlanc is a complete fascist. There’s no way the Josh Carter I know would be okay with that.” Maybe, he conceded as he returned to work, he didn’t know Josh as well as he thought?
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Are you seriously ordering pizza during an investigation?”“What investigation?” Osgood kept dialing her cell phone. “It’s late, Sam, and I’m hungry. Besides, we didn’t find anything the first time we visited Miss Faversham-”“The trip Kate says you never made?”“Whatever. The point is, I don’t mind waiting while you indulge your curiosity, but I’m going to have dinner while I do.”“Fine, knock yourself out.” Sam went upstairs, his eyes sweeping the floors and walls for anything unusual. “Wait, what’s that?” He knelt in a bedroom to pick up a spent shell casing. “Nothing to find, she says-”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“No attack,” the Silence whispered as Josh stared dumbly, his frozen meal forgotten. “The conditioning has worked. Good. We have watched you. You are the one we require…”“Require?”“Go to the offices of Kenneth LeBlanc tonight. Offer to help him become your country’s prime minister.”“Help him?” Josh shook his head and tried to think. “How?”“Protection. Information. UNIT is aware of us again, despite our efforts. They will find footage of us. When they do, you must take custody of it and use it to force a general election.”“How?”“You will know when the time is right.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“I’ve some bad news: Josh Carter resigned.”Osgood gasped. “What?”“How are you surprised?” Sam glanced at her. “He used UNIT information to brainwash the prime minister into resigning. He’s probably gone to join his new buddy, LeBlanc-”“It’s not Josh’s fault, Sam, he’s been brainwashed too. Ma’am, you can’t accept. We have to deprogram him!”“How? We’ve no idea how these aliens are doing this and I can’t have him within UNIT right now, he’s too much of a security risk.” Kate sighed. “For the moment we’ll wait and hope we have a chance to get him back soon.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Sam knocked on the door to Osgood’s lab. “How’s it going?”“Just hacking one of my best friend’s laptops. What could possibly go wrong?”“Josh let you take that?”“He didn’t have much choice.” Osgood grimaced. “I showed him a hologram of Edvard and, when I shut it off, he forgot.”“You used the creatures’ powers against them-”“And in the process further messed with a vulnerable man’s mind.”“Don’t feel bad. You did what you had to.”“That’s what Kate said.” A string of data spooled out on the screen. “Oh...my…” Sam whistled. “That’s a lot of firepower.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“That was worrying.”Sam held the door for Osgood. “More worrying than these aliens getting Josh to pick up an arsenal for them?”“Perhaps not.” As they stepped into the sunlight, she adjusted her wraparound glasses. “But if the truck driver is missing they’ve probably already killed him, like they did weeks ago with those advertising executives and online celebrities.” “We’re still going to check his home though?”“Of course.”“At least your glasses seem to work, even if I feel like a fashion victim wearing them.”Osgood tried to sound cheerful. “Better to be embarrassingly trendy than forget everything.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Josh woke while being half-dragged, half-carried by Kate and Osgood. “What happened?”“It’s a long story,” Kate began, “and a very confusing one. Can you walk?”“I think so.” When they released him, Josh rubbed his jaw. “Why do I feel like I’ve been punched?”“Because I…hit you,” Osgood confessed, “with a hologram projector.”“Why?”“You were trying to assassinate the prime minister-elect.”“Who?”“Kenneth LeBlanc,” Kate frowned worriedly, “your boss.”Josh froze. “What?!”Kate turned to Osgood. “Concussion or Edvard’s influence waning?”“Hard to say-”“We’ll evaluate him later. Hurry Josh, those bombs could go off any minute.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Good morning, Captain Carter.” The psychiatrist smiled. “How are you today?”“Fine,” he replied, but he was twitchy and his hands shook. “Still can’t remember…people tell me I’ve done things…what else don’t I know?”“Relax,” she soothed. “Let’s watch footage from election night, see if it stirs any memories.” Setting up an iPad, she pressed play.“…forget all you know of us,” the Silence droned on the recording, “as of this moment, our image will mean nothing to you…”The psychiatrist and Josh blinked at each other. “Why am I here,” he asked.“You know…I don’t remember.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“…The town hall was the scene of an election day riot that tragically took the life of the prime minster-elect. Several other local and national officials, including the former prime minister, escaped with only minor injuries. The incident is under investigation and a source close to the case said the riot was in response to the rigging of the election by-”The sound and picture hissed and faded to reveal the image of the Silence. “Your fellow humans plot against you. Trust no one.” Then the newscast returned as if it had never been interrupted. “…Kenneth LeBlanc. Now to sports…”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“‘Spend a while working in Stores,’ Kate said. ‘It’ll be a nice, calm assignment until you’ve recovered from-‘” Josh paused in the middle of his refiling and frowned. “Why was I on leave? Anyway, doesn’t matter. Calm? Look at this-” He gestured at the piles of documents, equipment, and schematics. “I spend all day trying to put this in order and every day it’s a bit more of a mess. I mean, what’s this?” He held up the pieces of what looked like trendy, wrap-around sunglasses. “There’s no label or notes - nothing! I’ll…file it under miscellaneous comms-tech, I suppose?”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Are you ready?”Osgood eyed the rocket. “I’ve taken all the space tourism classes on offer. Passed them with flying colors, so to speak.”“That’s not what I meant.” Sam smiled. “When we first met, you could barely handle a flight from England to Mongolia. Now you’re about to experience space travel.”“I know.” Osgood’s eyes twinkled. “It’s the chance of a lifetime. I’m very lucky and…yes, I think I’m ready.” “Come on then. Can’t keep Bravo 1 waiting.” The two of them disappeared down the tunnel leading to the spacecraft. After a few moments, the Silence followed them.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“I’m happy,” Sam grinned at Osgood, “hope you’re happy too.”“Yeah that’s enough, Sam.” Kate’s voice sounded fondly annoyed over the communicator. “You’ve got a job to do.” “We’re all set, ma’am.” He and Osgood began to unstrap themselves from their harnesses. Unnoticed behind them, the Silent reached out to a bank of controls. “Once we’re onboard the platform, Osgood will get the upgrades running on those communications satellites and I’ll take a look at-”The Silent turned off the air supply and the station’s communications system simultaneously. The Unified Intelligence Space Platform went silent for the next two hours.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Osgood backed away from the Silent, but the control module was so small that she couldn’t go far. “No! Keep away!”“You will not be harmed. You will receive your instructions. Then so will your fellow human and you will not remember me.”“Instructions? Why are you here? Why did you kill the other astronauts?” “Listen, Petronella Osgood. You will alter the software of the spy satellites so they broadcast their locations and countries of origin to all nations.”“But that could start a war!”“This mission is your first priority. Nothing else matters. Full disclosure will be achieved today.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“What about,” Colonel Shindi read from the list, “boxes A25-30, matter transportation experiments?”“Not here!” Josh gestured agitatedly at the blank space on the shelves. “The paperwork says it should be, Osgood had it placed in Stores two months ago, and yet-” “How about boxes T72-77, subspace communications technology?”“I keep saying, it’s all gone! There’s a log which says the boxes should be here, but they aren’t! I’ve searched everywhere-”“Calm down, Carter.” Shindi admonished as the junior officer threw down his clipboard. “We have to remain focused.”“Sorry sir, it’s just…I feel like I’m losing my mind.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“…we suspect someone is hiding in the Russian module.”“Are you sure,” Kate asked, concerned. “Pointing the finger at anyone at this stage would be rather… inflammatory-” Someone knocked on the door. “Who’s that?”“I asked them to bring us some coffee.” Kate opened the door and stepped back, a look horror on her face. “You! I…remember you!”“You will forget us,” the Silence rasped, “but remember this: the Russians are behind events on the space platform. You must not trust them.” The door closed and both women blinked blankly. Baroness Vance turned to Kate. “Did you say something?”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Right,” Colonel Shindi surveyed the assembled troops, “while we suspect Space Platform Mission Control is compromised, we have no idea how many hostiles may be inside. Stay alert and keep your glasses on at all times. Project an image of the Silence in the primary view screen to remind yourselves of why we’re here. When you see these aliens, shoot to kill them unless ordered otherwise by me. And be careful: in addition to their memory manipulation powers, they can destroy matter with lighting bolts they generate from their hands.”“Is that clear? Good. UNIT, let’s take our planet back!”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Report Mr. Carter.”“We’re almost at the pickup location, ma’am.” Josh checked the coordinates. “Maybe ten minutes? Have we heard anything else from Osgood and Sam?”“According to our Russian partners, the Soyuz capsule splashed down in one piece. Osgood’s message indicated they were uninjured, but I’ll be happier when we can confirm that.”“Me too. I’ll put them in contact with you ASAP.”“No, follow standing orders and have them watch the footage. Speaking of which, how are you feeling?”“Much improved, ma’am.” Josh smiled. “I’ve watched it at least twenty times so far and I’m almost myself again.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Knock knock!”“Hi Ali.” Osgood pushed up her glasses. “Umm, you know you don’t have to knock when you video conference me and you certainly don’t have to actually say it, right?”“Sorry.” The archivist blushed. “I just get nervous. I mean, you’re practically a field agent now!”It was Osgood’s turn to blush. “Hardly that. Did you find anything?”“My team has gone through all the Silurian artifacts and we’ve found nothing like the control device you described.” “Disappointing, but not surprising-”“Exactly. But we did find a marker that may give some clues about where to find it.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“The satellite images don’t do this place justice,” Sam said, his voice echoing in the vast cavern. Scanning the walls with his torch, he found a door and stepped into a small, cold room.“Someone’s been here too, besides the boss and Osgood.” He knelt beside the first body. “Whoever they are, they’ve taken out a herd of these small dinosaurs.” He shook his head. “That’s something you don’t say every day, even in UNIT.” Gun drawn, he hurried through a series of corridors. Finally he spotted Kate lying on the floor, barely conscious. “Hang in there, ma’am. Help’s arrived.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Sam and the Silurian crossed the bridge, disappearing inside the darkened room. Osgood cowered behind them on the landing. “Stay,” she shivered, “stay.”“Great.” The part of Osgood’s mind unaffected by the fear device observed herself with scorn. “I’ve graduated from gibbering idiot to obedient dog. Snap out of it! Sam needs backup, and with Kate poisoned and trapped who knows where, we’re…I’m it.” Osgood knelt on floor. “Stay.”“Fine,” the mind Osgood sighed resignedly, “we’ll wait. At least we stopped hallucinating naked caveman Sam. If Josh hears about any of this, I’ll never hear the end of it.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“They came in the night,” Osgood whimpered, stumbling away from the fight. “Attacked the strongest first.”“Come on,” Mind Osgood urged. “While Kate and Sam have her distracted, think! We need to incapacitate her long enough to escape-”“Snakes…coming out of the dark-” Osgood pulled the reptile summoning device from her pocket, flipped the on switch, and rushed forward.“Oh that’s brilliant.” Mind Osgood grinned as her physical self tried to get close enough to attach the device to Tryska’s belt.Tossing Sam aside, Tryska turned to stare at Osgood. “What are you doing, frighted one?” “Or maybe not-”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Osgood stood gingerly.“Sure you should be doing that?” Josh leaned against the door to her cabin. “You were pretty out of it when we brought you back from Greece.”“I’m fine. Just…haven’t gotten my sea legs. How’s Kate?”“The doctors are doing blood work and trying to make her rest.” He shrugged. “But you know the boss. Speaking of which, try to get some sleep. Sam said you had a rough time.”She readjusted her glasses. “Did he...say anything else?”If Josh noticed her nervousness, he didn’t show it. “Just that you saved the day, as usual.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“…need aliases for me, Osgood, Colonel Shindi, and Captain Carter by Monday, which I know isn’t long. They’ll need to withstand some scrutiny too; the people we’ll be dealing with-”“Are bad news?” The reporter laughed at her own joke. “Stop worrying, Kate. Have I ever not come through for you?”Kate smiled. “Not since you started working with us, no-”“Any chance you’ll tell me what this is all about once it’s over? I could use an exclusive.”“Not this time, Jacqui, at least not yet. But I’ll let you know if anything comes up that I can share.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Shindi surveyed the street warily. “One of us should have gone with her. If our cover says we’re her security team, we should act like it.”“Kate knows what she’s doing-”“Besides, I couldn’t connect to UNIT’s cloud servers inside.” Osgood typed on her tablet. “Looks like Gonsales’s guerrilla organization is larger than we thought, well-equipped, and possibly funded by a foreign intelligence service.”“Great,” Carter quipped, “nothing like walking into the lion’s den.”“There’s something else. A possible match for the energy signature.” “Anyone we know?”“Ummm,” Osgood blanched. “I’m not sure. I’ll…study it on the way there.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Vikram,” Kate lowered her voice so the men behind them couldn’t overhear, “do you sense a change since our friends radioed back to base?”“We’ve lost a Dalek in the jungle, they’re right to be on edge-”“It’s more than that. I get the feeling we’ve become prisoners rather than rich, criminal clients.” He glanced at the guerrillas walking ahead of them. “Something wrong with our identities maybe?”“Or perhaps Osgood and Carter stumbled upon something and got caught?”“I see. Could you signal UNIT North America on the way?”“Not without them seeing. For now, we’re on our own.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Kate!” Josh caught her as she was shoved into the interrogation cell. “Are you okay? Where’s Vikram?”“He’s fine, Captain, but we’ve another problem-” “You!” One of the guerrillas gestured at Josh with his gun. “Come with us.” Josh looked to Kate and she nodded. “Go. They’ll take you Shindi and help you hunt down our missing Dalek.”“I get all the fun assignments-” “What about us,” Osgood asked as the guerrillas locked the cell door.“I think the Dalek planned its escape long before we showed up. It’s time we pooled our knowledge and figured out its next move.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“It’s coming straight for us!” “Josh! Get out of the way!” “Not without you, sir!” Leaping forward, he knocked the Colonel to the ground and covered Vikram’s body with his own. “Move Carter! We need to run-”“There’s no time-” The tank fired twice at the fleeing guerrillas, rolled over the two UNIT officers, and exploded. The blast was intense, the heat even more so, but Josh and Vikram were barely singed when they crawled from under the wreckage.Josh dusted himself off. “Nestene skeleton one, Daleks nothing. If all else fails, I have a future as a human shield.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Kate knelt on the floor, feeling around for her lost phone. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed movement - a blur of grey, a hint of a male form. “Ben, is that you? Why didn’t you prop the door open? I can’t see a thing.” When he didn’t answer she took a proper look. “You’re…not Ben, are you? The fingers…the grey man…” Fear rolled over Kate like a physical presence. She had faced Autons, the Silence, Daleks, and more, but none had left her feeling this shaken. “Long…twisted fingers…reaching out. No! No, stay back!”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Am I anywhere near it?” Josh walked through the room with his arms outstretched. Around him the other party guests cowered behind furniture and against the wall. When no one answered, he turned to the hostess. “Phoebe! I need you to tell me if it's close.”“It…just walked through you,” Phoebe groaned. “How can you not see the horrible thing?”“Describe it.” “A blurry grey ghost with long fingers…no, I can’t,” she sobbed. Then she gasped. “Wait. It’s…gone.” “Gone? Where?”“I don’t know or care.”“Describe everything again.”“Josh-”He took her hand. “It’s important. Trust me.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Kate,” Ben Donelly called out, “a-are you okay? I heard a yell-” He tried to open the door to the long gallery, but something was blocking it. Forcing the door wide enough for him to squeeze inside, he saw her crumpled on the floor as if she’d been fleeing the room and just collapsed. “Kate!” Ben knelt to check her pulse. “You’re alive, thank God." He picked her up and carried her downstairs to his mother’s apartment. “I tried to warn you, but you’re as stubborn now as you were back then.” Ben chuckled. “I always liked that about you.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Ben helped Josh carry Osgood’s equipment inside. “We’ll put everything in the parlor until you decide what you need.”“Is this necessary?” Alice Donelly gave an impatient wave that included the boxes cluttering her home and the helicopter outside. “All this to-do over a fainting spell.”Osgood and Josh exchanged a look. “You’re saying Kate fainted,” he asked with raised eyebrows.“Likely a blood sugar or similar medical issue.” With a dismissive shrug, she turned away. “But since you’re here, I’ll try to wake her.”“What are the odds the boss fainted?”“Not impossible,” Osgood shook her head, “but unlikely.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Osgood closed her computer and Voxtel’s recorded message shut off with an abrupt snap. “In the meantime, I want to check a room on the third floor-”“Why?”“When I was on the roof, I noticed a cable leading to a former satellite installation. Ben said the other end led into the long gallery.”“Okay…?"“He also said that was the room Kate ‘fainted’ in.”“I see, and you want to do a bit of ghost hunting?” “I wouldn’t put it quite like that,” she smiled, “but let’s say my scientific curiosity needs to be satisfied on a few points-”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Shindi was leaving UNIT Brussels when his phone rang. “Ms. Stewart?” “How was the meeting, Vikram?”“Informative, but it took twice as long as it need to-”Kate chuckled. “The usual then?” Her tone became serious. “If you’ve finished there, I have something that needs looking into. Normally I’d send Sam, but we’ve still had no word from him-”“What’s the problem, ma’am?” “We’re getting odd readings coming from the Ardennes forest; it could be a sign of alien activity.”“And you need someone to check it out?” He smiled. “Why not? Nice day for a walk in the woods.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Vikram took the hologram projector apart and studied the pieces. “The power cell still works, but the explosion did a number on the projector itself. No hope of contacting Kate directly-” He tilted his head as he spotted something. “I’m no Osgood, but it looks like the GPS circuits are still intact. With some luck, I could wire the two together to make a beacon. It’s a plan, at least.” As he worked, Colonel Shindi listened for any hint the Sontarans were coming to collect him. It was fiddly work and he had no tools. “Please, just a little longer-”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Both UNIT soldiers and Sontarans lowered their weapons. “Right then,” Vikram began cheerfully, “here’s what I have in mind: load everyone into the back of a vehicle-” He looked to Kate. “I assume there’s room for our people and the Sontarans in whatever you came in?”“It’ll be a squeeze, but yes.”“Ms. Stewart and I will use our UNIT credentials to gain entry-”Kate smiled. “A surprise inspection?”“Typical human subterfuge,” Skar complained. “A frontal attack is more honorable.”“And more likely to get everyone killed.” Shindi sighed. “Let’s try my way. If it doesn’t work, we’ll try yours.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Josh prowled around the silver pod taking up considerable floor space in Osgood’s lab. “What’s this?”“Some sort of travel capsule.” Osgood connected power cords as she spoke. “It was the only thing left at the Auctioneers’ headquarters when our troops raided it.” “Are you sure you should be powering it up?”“It’s the only way to find out what it does. Look! All the controls are lighting up.”“And it’s glowing.” Josh grabbed Osgood’s arm. “You should to a step back.”“Nonsense, I’m sure it’s-” The capsule disappeared in a flash of light, taking Osgood and Josh with it.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“-fine,” Osgood gasped when they rematerialized. “That was anything but fine,” Josh coughed. “What just happened? And what’s that noise?”“An intruder alarm,” Osgood muttered absentmindedly as she looked around. She spotted the propaganda posters on the wall and her eyes widened. “But why would there be intruder alarms? We’re in your lab, we haven’t moved-”“Yes we have,” Osgood grabbed Josh’s hand and pulled him with her out of the lab, “and if I’m right we need to hide. Quickly.” Hurrying down a corridor, she spotted a door. “This’ll do.’“A supply cupboard? What-”She pushed him inside. “Shhhh-”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Osgood grinned. “That’s my boy.” She pulled Josh into her arms and kissed him passionately. Eyes wide and without a clue what was going on, Josh kissed her back. “Ack,” he squeaked after a moment. Breaking contact, he gasped for air. “Hands-”“You know you love it.” Osgood smirked, pushing him against a wall. “Everything is working out perfectly.”“It is?”She ran her hands through his hair. “The idiots think these intruders killed Sam-”Josh did a double take. “Sam Bishop?”“Exactly. If we’re clever, they’ll never know it was us.” She kissed his ear. “And I’m very clever.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Alternate realities? Parallel dimensions?” Osgood’s mind raced as she hurried down the corridor. “Which means versions of all of the UNIT personnel are here too.” She checked herself. “Evil versions, even better. An evil me? I wonder what evil me is like?”“Focus. I have to find my Josh…well not mine personally, from my reality. Anyway - find him, find power cables, power up the capsule, and get back to our reality without running into myself or getting shot.”She rounded a corner and spotted Josh trying to squirm his way out of the embrace of another Osgood. “Oh dear.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“…you won’t believe what’s been happening to us!”Narrowing his eyes, Shindi pointed his gun at them. “Explain. Quickly.”“Shape changers,” Osgood yelled, before gathering herself and continuing in a calmer tone. “Two shapeshifting aliens kidnapped me and,” she put an arm around Josh’s waist, “my…honey months ago. We’ve just now managed to escape.”“We have?” Josh winced as she pinched him.“We have. Sam realized what was happening so they killed him. When they realized their cover was blown, they escaped,” she gestured behind her, “in the capsule you just saw disappear!”Shindi lowered his weapon. “I'm listening-”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“A water park?” Osgood’s forehead wrinkled with worry. “Is that a good idea? There’s all these stories about people sustaining head injuries and studies about pool water quality-”Laughing, Jo put her arm around her friend and hugged her. “Oh Petronella, darling, you fight aliens for a living. A normal, Earth-bound water park isn’t going to have anything you can’t handle.”“I know, but still-”“But nothing. The point of these monthly dates is for us to do something fun that we wouldn’t ordinarily do. Are you really going to chicken out on me?”Osgood sighed. “No, of course not.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Ma’am,” the soldier saluted, “I have the information about the temporal anomalies.”“Pockets of temporal instability, if you please, Private.” Kate took the tablet and began scrolling through the information. “Anything similar in our files?”“The archivist found one match. It was from the 1970s and, oddly, from the same location.”“I see it.” Kate frowned. “Not a lot of information in this report. Who filed-” she paused, shaking her head, “the Doctor, of course. What’s this about a tape?”“A secondary report from Allison Williams of ICM.”Kate clicked the file and listened to the recording. “Oh…oh dear.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The holes went from placid, iridescent swirls in the air to time storms with the suction of a hurricane in seconds. Kate had her back to them and was caught off-guard when they began pulling her in.“Kate!” Jo yelled. “Watch out!” She grabbed Kate’s sleeve and was pulled in herself. “No!” Osgood raced forward, but Lt. Wallace grabbed her around the waist.“Get back,” Kate ordered, her eyes meeting Osgood’s. Then they were both gone.Osgood tried to wiggle free. “No, no, no!”“Stay back, ma’am,” Wallace grunted, “it won’t help either of them if we lose you too.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“I’m not losing either of them.” Osgood hurriedly connected bits of equipment. “That’s not happening - not today, not ever.”“Ma’am?” Wallace glanced at her worriedly. “Is there any way we can help?”“Keep everyone back from the holes and bring me all the power packs you can find. I’m going to try to stabilize the temporal instability enough that we can see what’s happened to Kate and Jo.” He started to follow her orders, but she stopped him. “And bring me Kate’s calculations for the refracted index. Quickly!“Yes, ma’am.”Osgood used her inhaler. “Please stay safe, both of you.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The TARDIS materialized outside of the graveyard. Osgood stared open-mouthed as a man in a velvet cape stepped out. “But you’re…you’re-”“The Doctor,” the Third Doctor smiled, “and you must be Ms. Osgood. So very good to meet you at last.” “Meet me?” She shook his hand, dazed. “Indeed. For me it’s been years since we last spoke, although it’s only been minutes for you, if I’ve got the time right.” His face became serious and he handed her a device shaped like a backpack. “Someone we both care about is in mortal peril. You’ll need this.”“Who?”“Jo.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Kate!” Osgood caught her as she stumbled through the hole. “Not fair,” Kate gasped. “It should have been me. Osgood, I’m so sorry...it’s Jo-”Osgood led her away from the beach. “I know, but it’s not over yet.”“What do you mean?”“The Doctor’s been here. He’s gone already, I’m afraid - said something about avoiding drawing the attention of the Time Lords. But he brought something we can use to track Jo in the vortex and pull her free.”“Really?”“Yes! I was just about to put it on.”“You’re not going.” Kate grabbed the backpack. “She’s my responsibility.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
As he ran, Josh pushed an automatic redial button on his phone. “Come on, come on! I need to know what I’m dealing with.” He grimaced when the call connected to an answering service. “Must be chess club night. Osgood, I-”Hearing a noise, he turned. Light erupted from a humanoid form ten steps behind him. “Found you,” its odd voice whispered, seeming to contain several voices in one. The creature aimed a weapon at him.Josh raised his other hand and cried out. The blast hit him in the chest and he fell, his phone clattering to the floor.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Osgood walked into her lab and froze. “Why are you here?”“What’s it look like?” The other Osgood studied the contents of a beaker. “I’m working.”“It’s my day in the lab. You’re supposed to be working from home!”“So what? Besides, there’s room enough for both of us, as long as you stay far away from my samples-”“I’m not working in MY lab while you’re here! You’re distracting…and loud.” Turning, she stormed out. “You know what, I’ll talk to Kate and she’ll tell you-”“That’s right,” Osgood followed her, “run to mother. You’re so like our sister-”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Any luck?”“Not yet.” Osgood frowned as Kate handed her a slip of paper. “What’s this?”“I met with Jacqui McGee earlier. She mentioned something about people disappearing from the West End. With Josh going missing there too, I asked her for a list of their names. There may be no connection, but I want you to find out what you can about all of them.”“Will do.” Osgood paused. “Did Osgood find anything in Josh’s flat?”“Just his laptop, which she’s bringing back with her.” Kate smiled. “Like I told her, don’t worry. Josh can take care of himself.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Jacqui paced as she waited for the call to connect. “Pick up, dammit!”“Jacqui,” Kate answered, sounding confused. “What’s wrong?”“What’s wrong,” Jacqui laughed hysterically. “I’m looking at myself lying on the floor of a hotel room in the West End. How’s that possible?”“Is she alive,” Kate asked urgently.“So you do know something about this!”“Jacqui!”The reporter knelt down. “There’s a pulse.” She stood and shivered. “Do you know how weird this is?”“Yes and I’m sorry. But please, tell me where you are and I’ll send a team to bring you both back to UNIT HQ.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Osgood rushed toward the gurney as the medical staff pushed it into the infirmary. “Where did they find her?”“In a hotel room,” Kate replied. “She’s unconscious right now and there appear to be burns on her chest.”“At least she’s alive-”“Make sure she stays that way. After she’s stabilized, I’ll want a word with both of you.”Osgood didn’t meet Kate’s eyes. “Yes ma’am.”“Right now, I’m off to my office to see if I can salvage our relationship with The Eyewitness.”“Is Jacqui angry?”“You and Osgood stole her identity and her appearance, what do you think?”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Mirrors,” Kate reached for her gun, “feeding off my strength. Must resist.” She caught sight of her reflection and was instantly hypnotized, her hands falling limply at her side. “I’m so strong. I can resist anything.” In the power cell beside Kate’s, Jacqui stared into the mirrors surrounding her. “My mind…so brilliant. So much smarter than most people. I can do…anything.”Above them in another power cell, Josh smiled stupidly at his refection. “I’m so…beautiful. It’s unfair really.”Dozens more power cells hung above him, humming quietly as they siphoned away vital life energy from their prisoners.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Another please.”“You okay, mate,” the bartender asked. “You look a bit down.”“Oh just the usual. You think you’ve found someone, but turns out they aren’t who they say they are. And, as a bonus, the person you really like says they don’t really want anyone…including you.”“That’s rough. But hey, could be worse-”“Yeah,” Josh muttered once he was out of earshot. “I could still be trapped on an alien spaceship having my narcissism drained to power its engines.”“Talking to yourself?” Grinning, Jacqui slid onto a barstool beside him. “First sign of madness, so I hear-”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Jacqui!” Josh looked startled. “How’d you find me?”“I didn’t. Just fancied a drink after the day we’ve had-”“Don’t remind me. Next year on March 8th I’m staying home alone with a pizza and some movies. Safer that way.”“You don’t strike me as a man who enjoys safe.” She grinned and nudged his shoulder. “Besides, think of all the people we saved today.”“You mean the people you, Kate, and Osgood saved-”“Oh buck up!” She glanced at the TV where an image of her own face had appeared. “There’s a segment coming up you’ll want to hear.”