Short Story: Goodnight

Her eyes closed. She was running towards the light, the sun on her back. She could hear someone chasing behind her, but she was running too fast. When she turned to look…




She looked at her reflection and smiled. She looked odd. This wasn’t the person she wanted to be, but it was the person she had become over these past few months. Her eyes were deep, dark and brown and she had an awkward prettiness about her. She had grown to like the face, but she had never felt like she could wear it.

Her hair was tied back into a long pony tail which cascaded down the back of her head and neck in an array of ringlets and curls.

On her head was an ornate, silver tiara. Her dress was white and elegant, but it wasn’t too much. She had picked it out from one of the fashion shops on Polthia.

She tilted her head to her side and smiled.

And then her face dropped and she felt sad.




He had shaved especially for this day. It was the first time in a long time that he had been clean shaven, and it felt odd. But it felt good. He was doing it for her.

He looked at his reflection as he stood there in his black suit and gold waistcoat. He had been a bit of a cretin over these past few months and he had said and done some stupid things, but he was grateful. He was grateful that he had gotten to spend at least a few more months with the woman he loved more than anything in the universe.

He tilted his head to his side and smiled.

And then his face dropped and he felt sad.




The Doctor stood in the forest clearing, his shoes caked in the damp grass. He sniffed the air. It smelt of peaches and he smiled. He had come here once with Donna back when the world was a better place. She had insisted on leaving as the smell had given her a headache, but they had enjoyed a wonderful picnic together. A picnic with Ibuprofen.

That was before he had lost her.

Strangely things had repeated themselves.

He felt a conflict of emotions. One - that he was about to lose someone who had become a friend, and two - that he was about to regain a friend. One that had been lost within the TARDIS.

And then he wondered whether it was right. It wasn’t the real Alice trapped in the TARDIS. Merely a copy of her brainwaves. Would she be happy about that?

He put those thoughts from his head. Right now he had a job to do.

The door creaked opened and Maxus stepped out, brushing down his suit.

“Very smart, Quinn,” smiled the Doctor. “She’s a lucky lady.”

“Thanks, Doc,” said Maxus with a nervous smile. He looked around. “It’s beautiful here.”

“Indeed it is,” said the Doctor, leaning slightly on his cane.

He walked over to the Doctor. Maxus was about to add more chit-chat to the conversation when he closed his eyes, his head lowered.

The Doctor put a hand on his shoulder.

He turned back to the Doctor. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

“Cold feet?” suggested the Doctor, knowing full well that it wasn’t cold feet.

“I don’t think I can say goodbye,” he said.

The Doctor didn’t reply. He just stood for a good while with his hand on Maxus’s shoulder.

The door opened again and Tylaya stepped out, her white dress dazzling them. “Stop bloody well moaning, you miserable gits,” she said with a chuckle.

“I beg your pardon?” said the Doctor.

“I’m marrying you,” she said to Maxus. “Now stop wallowing. I don’t want to spend my last few hours crying, do I?”

“Ty, I-”

“Shut up,” she said, putting a finger to his lips in the way she always did when she knew she was right. “You better have the rings.”

“I do,” said the Doctor, realising the question was directed at him. “I’m sorry this isn’t the wedding you wanted.”

“All that matters is that we’re together,” said Tylaya.

The Doctor smiled. “I must say you’re taking this very well.”

“Gotta keep on going,” said Tylaya. “And that poor Alice is waiting to hop on board.”

Maxus felt his heart sink.

“But she’s just gonna have to hold on a bit longer.”

The Doctor guided Tylaya and Maxus away from the TARDIS and to a line of trees in the centre of the clearing. He took a metallic stone from his pocket and threw it onto the floor.

A beam of light sprung up from the stone and slowly morphed into a holographic vicar with black-rimmed glasses and a white gown. He had wavy blonde hair and smiled sweetly at the couple.

“Good morning,” said the vicar. “I am the Reverend 2X4771B. I am here to officiate your wedding in accordance to the Light Ceremony from Central City.”

“He’s a bit chatty,” said Maxus.

“It’s the best I could do at short notice,” said the Doctor.

The ceremony was short and sweet. After the holographic vicar had said his piece and the vows were exchanged, Maxus took the rings from the Doctor. The bride and groom each placed the rings on their fingers.

The Doctor smiled.

“Congratulations,” said the vicar with a grin. “I now pronounce you husband and wife.” He paused.

Maxus turned to the vicar and frowned. “You’re forgetting the most important bit, mate.”

The vicar’s face turned serious. “You may now…kill the bride!”

“What?” said the Doctor.

“Poor taste, Doc, poor taste,” said Tylaya.

But the Doctor wasn’t listening. He watched as the holographic form of the vicar flickered and morphed. Standing in his place was a large, green, tentacled monster with the vicars head and still wearing the white robes.

“What the hell?” said Maxus.

“I don’t know,” said the Doctor, grabbing the stone and aiming his screwdriver at it. “I don’t know how to switch it off.”

“Kill the bride. Kill the groom. Kill the Doctor,” growled the creature with a laugh.

“Who did this?”

“Greetings from the Ninkons,” said the monster.

“Oh no,” said the Doctor. “The Ninkons. I faced them a few regenerations back. Nasty pieces of work. They must have tampered with this. Set a trap.”

“So what do we do?” said Maxus.

“We run! Back to the TARDIS!”

The Doctor grabbed his cane, Maxus grabbed Tylaya, and together they ran for the TARDIS.

The creature growled and began running after them. It was gaining on them fast, but they were much quicker than it’s lumbering form could move.

“Quick!” said the Doctor, unlocking the door and letting Tylaya and Maxus pile inside.

The Doctor took one last look at the creature before slamming the door. He raced to the console, flicked a switch and the TARDIS dematerialised.

“Thank god for that,” said Tylaya, out of breath.

“You can say that again,” said the Doctor.

“Doctor,” said Maxus, “can you do the honours?”

The Doctor turned to the couple and then smiled. “Of course.” He walked up to them. “You may now kiss the bride.”

Maxus looked longingly into Tylaya’s eyes and smiled. And then they embraced, kissing passionately as the Doctor watched on. They had come a long way since they had been taken prisoner by him, but he was glad to see them finally happy at last.

They broke off the kiss and Tylaya stared up at her husband. She smiled weakly. “I love you.”

He smiled back. “Love you too, Ty.”

And then she slumped down, still held in Maxus’s arms.

“No,” he said, helping her over to the sofa.

The Doctor helped Maxus to lay her down on the sofa and then stepped back. Maxus knelt over her, brushing her hair out of her face.

“Don’t leave me,” said Maxus, the tears now flowing freely.

“I…love you.” She stared up at him, smiled, and then closed her eyes for the last time.




She was running towards the light, the sun on her back. She could hear someone chasing behind her, but she was running too fast. When she turned to look…

…Maxus was there, stood in the clearing, his hand raised up to wave to her. She stopped and slipped the ring off her finger and then threw it to him. He caught it and clasped it tightly in his hands.

And then she smiled. The sun flared and she had changed. She now looked like the woman she used to be. The real Tylaya. In the distance, behind Maxus, she could see Alice, walking away, with Maxus standing between them.

She took one last look at the man she loved, turned, and walked into the light.




A while later Maxus sat in the bedroom, his head down and his hand clasping Tylaya’s wedding ring tightly. For a moment he thought he saw her out of the corner of his eye, but she wasn’t there.

She was gone.




THE END

Next time: The end begins. Coming Sunday December 7th 2014.

Family (Part 4)

Katy was on her second cup of tea of the morning as she sat on the sofa in the middle of the console room, trying to regain some sort of normality to her way of thinking. The Doctor had taken her into his mysterious time machine, but even she couldn’t have prepared herself for what she found. It was like nothing she had ever seen before and she felt quite, quite sick.

The Doctor sat down beside her and sighed, rubbing at his chest. “Feel any better?”

“Slightly,” she said with a worried brow.

“Ah, you’ll be fine. Most people usually are.”

“I’m not travelling with you,” said Katy.

“No, definitely not,” said the Doctor quickly. “I’ve got too much to do. I don’t need any more complications on board my ship!”

“So where is she then? Where’s Alice?”

The Doctor got to his feet and crossed to the console. He rubbed his hands together and then turned to face her. “Please take this very slowly.”

“I will,” nodded Katy.

The Doctor flicked a switch and the lights dimmed, leaving only an eerie glow from the round circles set into the stone wall. “I’ve lowered most of the TARDIS’s defensive capabilities. It allows Alice to come through a little clearer.”

The room went as silent as a church hall in the dead of night. Katy needed to cough, but she felt that, if she did, even that would be too loud.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed something. It was a slight distortion to the air, and slowly a shimmering mass appeared. Eventually it solidified into the familiar image of her sister, Alice.

Katy gasped and put a hand to her mouth. She wanted to run up and hug her tightly, but Alice looked distant with a permanent frown fixed to her forehead.

“Can I…Can I speak to her?” said Katy, looking for some guidance from the Doctor.

“Go ahead,” he said, barely noticeable in the shadows.

“Alice,” said Katy.

The projection of Alice turned to face her, her face remaining stern.

“Alice, can you hear me. It’s Katy. It’s your sister.”

“Katy,” said Alice, her voice a monotone. “Katy.”

“That’s right,” said Katy, her eyes welling up with tears. “I’ve come to see you.”

“Katy,” said Alice again. “I want my body back.”

Katy looked to the Doctor again.

He walked out of the shadows until he was standing face to face with Alice. “We’re going to help you, Alice,” he said softly.

“Where is Tylaya?” asked Alice.

“She’s back in Central City.”

“I want my body back.”

The Doctor shook his head. “Tylaya is dying. Once she is…gone, then you can have your body back.” It sounded as though he were speaking to a child.

“It’s so cold here. I can’t feel anything.”

“The TARDIS is keeping you alive,” said the Doctor.

The image of Alice flickered and Katy stepped forward. She felt helpless.

“She’s fading again,” said the Doctor. “Let her know it’s okay.”

Katy stepped in front of Alice and looked into her deep, brown eyes. “Hold on, Alice. I’m here for you. You’ll be coming home soon.”

For a moment Katy thought she saw Alice’s lips attempt a smile, but then she shimmered and was gone.




Tylaya felt uneasy. She had been feeling like this for some time now, but now it felt even worse. It felt as if she was losing her grip on this body. She felt dizzy and sick and wanted to go to sleep. She sat on the park bench next to Maxus and continually had to bring herself back to the here and now by focusing on something. By focusing on anything, but it was all becoming so hard. The problems with her parents had accelerated her health issues, and Tylaya wondered how much longer she could keep her head together.

“He’ll be here soon,” said Maxus, his arm around her. “He’ll have an answer then.”

“He won’t have an answer,” said Tylaya. “When the Doctor lands I’ll just have to slip away. I’ll just have to accept it.”

“No,” said Maxus. “We need to get married, remember?”

“Then we need to do it now. I can’t keep this up much longer.”

“That’s why the Doctor will have found a way. Just something to hold back the effects.”

“I need to go, Quinn.”

He grabbed her face and looked down into her eyes. “You’re not going yet. Not until we marry, do you hear me?” He was fighting back his own tears now.

She nodded. She would hold on. Just a little bit longer.




Gallifrey…a long time ago…




It was the next morning and Caleb had invited the Doctor and Reikon along to his lab back in the city. It was still early and Reikon had some time to kill before another round of archiving began. He yawned as he entered the chamber to find Caleb and the Doctor already down beside the telescope-like-device; the Doctor flicking through the notes his nephew had made.

“Ah, Reikon, my dear fellow,” smiled the Doctor.

“I’m glad you two can be so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at this time of the morning. I skipped my breakfast for this, you know?”

“It’ll be worth it, father,” beamed Caleb. “I’m doing a test run today.”

“Yes,” said the Doctor, nodding, “I’ve had a look through all of Caleb’s notes, and I really do believe that he may be on to something.”

“You don’t seriously believe he can find a way through to this fairytale land, do you?”

“Well, maybe not exactly what he’s thinking,” he said, giving a wink to his nephew, “but he definitely has the capabilities here to open up a hole in time and space. Where that leads, well, who knows, eh?” He turned and smiled at Caleb. “Who knows?”

“And why on Gallifrey would you want to do that? We have time travel capabilities already.”

“Because this is tuning in on a specific location, father,” said Caleb, grabbing his notes and thrusting them into Reikon’s hands.

“And if it all goes wrong, what then?”

“There’s a failsafe switch,” said Caleb. “If something goes wrong, I can shut down the power and close the breach.”

Reikon shook his head. “If the High Council find out-”

“Oh, Reikon, Reikon…” tutted the Doctor. “The High Council aren’t going to bother with such a small-scale experiment. Have a little faith, hmm?”

“I hope you’re right,” said Reikon.

Caleb handed the Doctor and Reikon a pair of dark glasses and then moved to the control panel adjacent to the machine.

Reikon frowned, looking down at them.

“Put them on,” said Caleb. “They’ll protect your eyes from the light.” He flicked a few switches and the device hummed into life. He consulted a few notes and figures on the scruffy bits of paper and then readjusted the device. The large, telescope section angled itself slightly.

After a few minutes the machine had built to its full power and Caleb turned back to smile at his father and uncle.

“Go on then,” said Reikon with a sigh.

“Fasten your seatbelts,” laughed Caleb as he threw a lever.

The device hummed with power, little blue lights flickering on around the base of the telescope. The room was vibrating with energy.

“Should the room be vibrating, Caleb?” said the Doctor, his hands concealed beneath his robes.

“It’s just a side effect, uncle,” said Caleb, checking the readings.

“Side effects can sometimes have terrible consequences,” said Reikon darkly.

“Don’t be such a stick in the mud, father,” said Caleb, peering down a viewing port to the inside of the machine. “This thing is loaded with Artimaxin crystals. They’re heating up nicely.”

“Artimaxin crystals?” said Reikon. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

“Not at all. I got some at the Theta market a few months ago. I’ve been growing them in here for weeks.”

“They are banned on Gallifrey due to their unstable composition,” scolded Reikon.

The Doctor stepped forward. “Actually, Caleb, your father is right. You really shouldn’t be messing with Artimaxin crystals”

“Oh, not you as well, uncle.”

“Yes, young man, me as well. I suggest you switch that machine off now. Until we‘ve checked that the crystals have the right composition elements with them.”

“Not a chance,” said Caleb, determination on his face.

“Do what your uncle says,” said Reikon.

Caleb glowered at his father, his face threatening to break into a rage. His father stared back at him. All his work. Everything he had been building towards, and his stupid, interfering father was about to put an end to it all.

Reikon was about to step forward and pull the fail safe switch himself, when a sudden burst of green, blinding light erupted from the top of the telescope. It hit the domed roof and a wave of energy exploded, opening up the ceiling to a twisting maelstrom of colours and shapes.

“I’ve done it,” smiled Caleb. “I’ve actually done it!”

“Switch it off!” said Reikon. He dived for the failsafe, but the lever was jammed.

Caleb watched helplessly as the Doctor joined Reikon, and both men, with all of their strength, tried to pull the lever down. It didn’t work.

Caleb’s attention was drawn to the void above as small, black imp-like shapes began to descend upon the chamber.

“Get to the main power supply,” shouted Reikon to the Doctor. “It’s outside in the corridor.”

The Doctor nodded and charged up the steps. He flung open the double doors and they slammed behind him. By now a group of Time Lords were gathering to see what all the commotion was about.

The Doctor located the small, metal box near the floor halfway down the corridor. He slid open the lid and was about to pull the cable from the inner circuitry when there was a huge boom.

The corridor shook and the Doctor, along with the group of Time Lords, were thrown to the floor. The corridor vibrated for a good few minutes, waves upon waves of vibrations shaking the Doctor to his bones. He felt like throwing up, but finally the vibrations subsided.

The corridor was still.

The Doctor got to his feet and raced back to the doors. He flung them open and gasped.

The chamber was gone. Reikon and Caleb were gone. All that was left was a huge, smouldering crater where…everything used to be.

The Doctor felt his hearts break.

His brother and his nephew were gone.










The Present




Celestia leaned against the balcony that overlooked the valley beyond. The sun was setting now and she could feel the last of it’s warmth on her face.

The Master walked up behind her and lay a hand on her shoulder.

“Leave me alone,” she said, shrugging him off.

“You know it to be true, Celestia,” said the Master.

“That my husband and son are still alive in some freak of nature dimension?”

“Exactly,” he said. He sat down on one of the stone benches. “Are you willing to give up on them?”

“I gave up on them eons ago,” she said, turning to him, her eyes full of tears. “They were gone. The machine Caleb built backfired and blew them up. Atomized them.”

“And you gave up that easily?” said the Master.

“No, Koschei, it wasn’t easy. When the Doctor came to me to tell me what had happened…I didn’t believe it. I searched for some way to explain it to myself; to try and make myself understand, but there was no way. They were gone. It was those blasted crystals.”

“The Doctor was going to take Caleb on his travels, wasn’t he?”

Celestia nodded. “He took his granddaughter instead.”

“Eventually. I don’t think he ever gave up on Caleb returning though.”

“I did eventually,” came another voice.

Celestia and the Master turned. Standing there was the dishevelled form of the Eighth Doctor, his face cut and bruised, his hair matted.

“You need to go inside.”

“Why?” he said, stepping out into the light.

“Because you’re unstable. You shouldn’t be here. You’re pure regeneration energy.”

“But I still have all of those memories,” he said. He crossed over to Celestia and took her hands, looking down into her deep green eyes. “Caleb was one of the reasons why I went out to explore the universe. I did it partly for him.”

“But you forgot,” said Celestia.

“Because I had to.” He clutched his chest and frowned. “I didn’t want to…forget.” He stumbled backwards.

“Help me get him inside,” sighed the Master.

They helped him back into the medical bay were Aleena, Dennington and Millie were waiting impatiently.

“He just got up and walked out,” said Millie.

“We couldn’t stop him,” said Dennington.

The Doctor was beginning to glow.

“What’s wrong with him?” said Aleena, trying to get a closer look.

“He’s breaking up,” said the Master, a slight smile playing on his face. “He’ll soon be just pure regeneration energy.” The Master turned to Celestia. “Don’t you see, your husband and nephew blew a hole into the Nest. This is where he comes from.”

“I still don’t know what you want,” said Celestia, exasperated.

“What I want is to find the Doctor. And then we can find another way into the Nest were we can find your husband and finally fix the Doctor.”

Aleena had hope in her heart at hearing the Masters words, but still it didn’t ring true. She wasn’t sure she could trust this man. Not after what he had done to her in the past.




Katy closed the door of the TARDIS and left her hand resting on it for just a moment. The Doctor had promised her that he would return to Little Pebbleford with her sister as soon as he was sure she was safe. Katy had reluctantly agreed to let him go, and the Doctor had given her the keys to Casterby House.

She was going to wait there. Wait for her sister to return. And she promised to get his front door fixed as well.

A gust of wind whipped up, blowing her hair out of her face. She squinted as the blue box slowly disappeared until all that remained was a dry patch of mud where the time ship, and her sister, used to be.

With a sniff she turned and walked back towards the house.




The doors to the TARDIS swung open and Maxus helped the staggering Tylaya into the console room and to the sofa. As soon as they were in he set the ship in motion again.

“How did it go?” said the Doctor, rushing over to Tylaya and checking her pulse.

“Badly,” said Maxus. “Her parents don’t want anything to do with her.”

The Doctor shook his head. “She doesn’t have long left. The TARDIS has detected her again. It’s trying to force her out.”

“We need to help her.”

“Maxus,” said the Doctor, standing up and looking into his frightened eyes, “she’s dying. We’d just be delaying the inevitable.”

He pushed against the Doctor with an angry shove, like a petulant child. “I know that, but…we need to get married. It’s what she…we wanted. Please. Just another few hours. Please.”

The Doctor sighed.

And then nodded.




Gallifrey…a long time ago…




The Doctor stood in the doorway as Celestia lifted her container from the floor of her now-empty house. She stood and turned around slowly, remembering all of the memories she had had here. The love she had experienced here. The joy and the happiness as well as the sad times.

“Are you sure about this?” said the Doctor.

“I can’t stay here,” said Celestia. “I just…can’t.”

“But, Arcadia? Are you sure about Arcadia? You were never a city girl.”

She smiled sadly. “I need distractions, Doctor. I can’t stay here. All this quiet is just too much.”

“You must stay in contact,” he said.

“A clean break would be better,” she replied sadly.

The Doctor lowered his head.

She walked past him and then stopped. “I know Reikon was never your real brother, and Caleb never your real nephew, but that never stopped you treating them like they were. For that I’ll always be grateful.”

The Doctor smiled. “Adopted or not, he was still my brother.”

Celestia took his hand and then kissed him gently on the cheek. “If you ever make it out there, just be careful. There are some scary things in the universe.”

And then she was gone.

The Doctor watched as she disappeared down the winding road that ran between the houses and down the mountain side. He watched until she was nothing more than a blip in the distance.

He wanted to remain positive, but he knew he would never see her again.




Somewhere else…




The cave was dark and the sound of water came from somewhere in the distance.

And then he heard the footsteps.

Reikon opened his eyes. He was lying next to Caleb who was still unconscious. He sat up and winced in pain. He had a large gash on his head.

He looked to Caleb. He couldn’t be sure because it was so dark, but the young man looked like he had burnt his face.

The footsteps were getting louder.

He turned to their direction and a old, blonde-haired lady came into view.

“Where…?”

“Don’t try to speak,” she said, kneeling beside him.

Reikon looked around the dark cave. He was confused. One minute he was in the chamber and the next there was a big explosion and he woke up here.

“Welcome to the Nest,” smiled the woman. “My name is Helenia.”




TO BE CONTINUED…

Next time: Are Tylaya's days numbered? Darkpaths returns next week in the one-episode short story "Goodnight". Coming Sunday 30th November 2014.

Family (Part 3)

He was back on the street. Back on the cul-de-sac. The sun was beating down on his head and the top of it was burning in the midday heat. He took a handkerchief from his blazer pocket and mopped his brow. He then slipped his blazer off and threw it onto a small wall outside one of the houses’ front gardens.

Standing in the middle of the circular road was the old woman who had given her name as Helenia. She looked intrigued to find the Doctor here and smiled.

“Hello again,” said the Doctor.

“Hello,” said Helenia. “You know you’re dreaming, yes?”

“Yes,” said the Doctor. “I think I drifted off after I had that cup of tea with Katy.” He looked around the cul-de-sac and then back to Helenia. “Are you going to explain this place yet?”

“Not yet,” said Helenia. “You haven’t looked for it yet.”

“I have more pressing concerns,” said the Doctor.

“Like?”

“I need to save my companion, Alice.”

Helenia smiled. “Very commendable, Doctor, but if you don’t get here soon then you won’t be around to save your friend.” She walked up to him and took his hand. “I’ve sent through a package. Something that should help you find this place.”

“A package?”

“It’s at Mount Cassius. Celestia is there with some friends.”

The Doctor frowned. “I can’t do this now.”

“You have to, Doctor.” She touched his chest and he winced in pain. “Time is running out. Make your decision and make it fast.”




He awoke with a start and turned to find Katy curled up in the big armchair, her head resting on a cushion.

They had spent most of the early hours talking and they had both slowly drifted off. Now the morning light was filtering through the windows in the living room and the rain had stopped. He got to his feet and crossed over to the window, opening the curtains and squinting in the morning light.

“Morning,” said Katy, stirring just behind him.

“Did you sleep well?” asked the Doctor.

“I didn’t intend on sleeping,” said Katy. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” said the Doctor. He sighed. “I need to go and pick up Tylaya and Maxus.”

“Pick them up,” said Katy, “or pick up the body?”

The Doctor closed his eyes. He was disgusted at what Tylaya and Maxus had done to Alice, but over the past few weeks he had come to get to know them and realised that they weren’t as bad as he first thought. He felt sick at what was happening to Tylaya.

“Do you want to see the TARDIS?” said the Doctor.

“Your ship?” Katy thought for a moment. “Will Alice be there?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes.” He picked up the TARDIS keys from a cabinet in the hallway. “It may help her to calm down a little. Right now she’s like a raging poltergeist, getting angry at everything and everyone.”

Katy looked at him thoughtfully. “I don’t know if I’m ready.”

“You don’t have to come with me to Central City. I’d never expect you to do that, but maybe this would be good for you as well.”

Katy didn’t say anything.

“It’s entirely up to you.”

She nodded, but still didn’t say a word.




Gallifrey…a long time ago…




The path up the hillside was a picturesque one. Up the gently sloping path were two rows of not-too-small and not-too-large houses, each one a different design. Some of them were grand, imposing structures with intricate stonework. Others were small and flat and on one level. Some had beautifully cultivated gardens, whereas others had basic paving with short pathways up to their front doors.

Most of Reikon’s co-workers lived on this hillside. They bought it for a view rather than the size of the houses. On a clear day you could see out across the whole valley, even sometimes as far as Arcadia.

Reikon and Celestia’s house was a small, one-story white structure with a small wooden door and small windows. The house continued further back and was surrounded by trees and bushes.

Reikon and Caleb made their way up the garden path when the door opened and Celestia stood there, her hands on her hips and shaking her head.

“Good evening, dear,” said Reikon. He leaned in for a kiss and she offered him her cheek.

“What time do you call this?” she said. “Dinner’s been ready for over an hour.”

“Caleb had something he wanted to show me,” said Reikon as he made his way inside.

“Mother,” said Caleb with a slight nod.

“Ah, it’s wonderful for my son grace me with an appearance for once!” she said as he pushed his way inside.

The interior was basic but homely. The first room was open-plan. At the front end were a number of comfy chairs beside a roaring fire. Surrounding the fire were shelves stacked with books and the Gallifreyan symbol emblazoned on the wall above the mantel piece. Reikon had always been proud of his heritage. Further back was a large, oak dining table and either side were cupboards, shelves, a washing sink and an old, iron cooker.

Celestia opened the cooker and took out two plates of food. “I’ve kept it as warm as I could.”

“I’ve told you before,” said Reikon, “that you don’t have to cook.”

Celestia smiled as she placed the food down in front of them. “And what would you two big lugs do if I didn’t?”

Caleb smiled as he stirred his food with his spoon. “True.”

“So what was this thing that kept you two away for so long?”

Caleb dropped his spoon, excitement on his face. “Oh, Mother, you have to come and see. I’m so close now!”

“Close to what?”

There came a knock at the door and a voice. “Anybody in?”

Reikon rolled his eyes and looked at Caleb. “Don’t try and get him on your side.”

Caleb’s eyes lit up. He knew he the man at the door was.

“Come in,” said Celestia.

The door opened and a man walked in dressed in a cloak and simple, black robes trimmed with white piping. He had long, swept back brown hair. He had a thin but kindly face, and smiled mischievously when he saw Celestia’s face.

“Ah, I seem to have called at an inappropriate time,” said the man, noticing their food.

“Not at all,” said Celestia, taking the man’s outer cloak. “These two were late home. You’re more than welcome to join us.”

“Oh, well, I wouldn’t say no, but I’ve just eaten I’m afraid.” He looked at Reikon and smiled. “Good evening, brother.”

“Good evening, Doctor.”

The man chuckled. “You’ll never get used to calling me that, will you?”

“I don’t see why we should have to,” said Reikon, taking a mouthful of his food.

“Now, now,” said Celestia. “If this is what your brother wishes to be named, then that’s what he wishes to be named.”

“I think it’s pretty fantastic. Fantastic in a good way,” said Caleb, tucking into his meal.

“Thank you, young man.”

“You would agree with your uncle,” said Reikon with a shake of his head. “I’m surprised he hasn’t already roped you into one of his new schemes.”

“Schemes?” queried Celestia, offering the Doctor a cup of water.

“He’s always on about getting off-world to explore the universe.” Reikon chuckled. “I don’t know what’s wrong with life down here.”

“Reikon, what is the point in our race having time travel capabilities if you don’t use that power to explore?”

“Go on then,” said Reikon with a laugh. “Do us all a favour and go and explore.”

“Reikon!” scolded Celestia. She looked to the Doctor. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh, don’t be, my dear,” he said with a chuckle. “Reikon has always been the same, ever since he was young.”

“So why haven’t you, then?” said Caleb.

“Why haven’t I what?”

“Gone out there to explore.”

“Oh, I would have. Yes, I would have,” said the Doctor his hands in a steeple position, “but since my granddaughter was born, I’ve been needed at home.” He leaned in. “But rest assured, my young man, that when the time is right, you’ll be the one I take with me.”

Caleb smiled and pointed his spoon at the Doctor. “I’ll hold you to that one, uncle.”




Now




All conversation about the Nest had been interrupted when the Eighth incarnation of the Doctor had started to convulse wildly. He almost fell off the bed, but Dennington and the Master managed to hold him down. The Master went to a medicine cabinet and pulled out a syringe and a bottle. He injected the Doctor in the arm and slowly the Doctor’s convulsing stopped and his breathing returned to normal.

“Physician, heal thyself…” muttered the Doctor.

The Master frowned and pressed a button. The bed rose slightly so the Doctor was at a more upright angle. “How do you feel?”

The Doctor’s head lolled from side to side, his eyelids heavy. “Hmmm…” was all he could manage.

“I asked how you felt?” said the Master. “Do you know who I am?”

“Never…seen you before in my…in my…life,” slurred the Doctor.

“He sounds drunk,” said Millie.

“The effects of travelling from the Nest,” said the Master, scratching his chin.

“Again - the Nest,” said Aleena. “What is it?”

“A myth,” said Celestia, who had remained quiet during the commotion. “A fairytale to tell the young of Gallifrey.”

“It most certainly is not a myth,” said the Master.

“This is unbelievable,” said Celestia, shaking her head. “There is no such place.”

“Oh, come on,” said the Master with an incredulous laugh. “You’ve heard the nursery rhyme!”

“And that’s exactly what it is!” said Celestia. “It’s just a nursery rhyme from the dawn of our civilisation.”

“And in all nursery rhyme’s there exists a ring of truth.”

Celestia turned away, shaking her head and chuckling to herself.

“How does this nursery rhyme go then?” said Millie, her interest piqued. She liked a good mystery.

The Master cleared his throat and spoke the rhyme: “All my incarnations standing in a row, when they are gone, where do they go? Carried by the darkness on time’s winged glitch, taken up and eaten by the dreaded Swytch. Where the fires burn an ice-cold blue, you will find yourself looking at you. So keep your eyes open and keep out of their way for the Swytch will come and eat you up one day.”

“Sounds pretty scary,” said Aleena. “Scary for children I mean.”

“It’s still just a nursery rhyme though,” said Dennington.

“There’s a story as well,” said the Master.

“Oh, good!” said Celestia. “Let’s throw the story in on this.”

The Master sighed and then turned back to the other three. “It tells of a tale of a man called Wizberass who witnessed his brother regenerating. It was said that as his brothers body changed, Wizberass saw a group of black, imp-like creatures momentarily appear and pull the regeneration energy from him.”

“Again, it was just a story for children.”

The Master almost growled at Celestia. “Oh, that’s what I thought, until my TARDIS picked up some interesting readings.”

“Okay, humour me,” said Celestia.

“It was during 2012. Summer time, I believe, in the USA. A place called Little Newtown.” The Master chuckled. “The Doctor visited there a while back in a different, unrelated problem. Sherman Prison.”

“Get to the point,” sighed Aleena.

“Well, to cut a long story short, a religious cleric managed to tap into the Nest. He didn’t know what he was doing, but it momentarily broke through into their dimension. Hundreds of the little black imps - the Swytch - scuttling out of their dimension before they returned to where they came from.”

“It could have been anything,” said Celestia.

“No,” said the Master. “The readings I detected in my TARDIS match up exactly with the ones the High Council received on the day that your husband disappeared.”

“Died,” corrected Celestia.

“Disappeared,” said the Master again. He turned to the Doctor, who still looked delirious. “I managed to tap into some rather strange radio transmission waves and that’s when I made contact with Helenia. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that she came from the Nest.”

“And she sent this version of the Doctor through?” said Aleena.

“Exactly,” said the Master, glee in his eyes. “You see, the Nest is where the Swytch take the energy of previous incarnations of Time Lords when they die.”

“Don’t be so stupid!” laughed Celestia.

“It’s true. Throughout our entire history, every time a Time Lord dies, although their previous selves live on inside the new incarnation, the energy, or an echo if you like, is harvested and deposited in the Nest.”

“Like a snake skin being discarded?” offered up Millie.

“Top marks, Millie,” smiled the Master. He turned back to the Doctor. “What’s the last thing you remember, my old friend?”

“What…?” murmered the Doctor.

“The last thing you remember.”

“I…I remember….dying. Regenerating…and then…then….” He narrowed his eyes. “…I remember being alive…somewhere else. Caves…houses…an old woman.”

“The old woman sent him through. And I also believe the Nest is where we will find Reikon and Caleb.”

The Young 1st Doctor (William Hartnell)

Next time: In the final part of "Family", things go wrong for Reikon and Caleb, Katy reunites with Alice, and Tylaya takes a turn for the worst. Coming Sunday 23rd November 2014.

Family (Part 2)

The TARDIS slowly materialised at the side of a road, nestled amongst a few trees. The rain lashed down and when the Doctor appeared in the doorway he had to duck back in and grab his umbrella. It was a black, thin design with a red, question-marked handle. He had been fond of it a long, long time ago and it still came in handy. Plus it looked less conspicuous than the multicoloured one he had rediscovered a few years back.

He made his way up the road until he reached the town centre. He checked his watch which had adjusted itself to the time zone. It was 3am. He frowned. He hadn’t aimed for this time in the morning, but it was maybe a blessing in disguise. In his few months in Little Pebblesford as the school caretaker he had become quite well known. This was how he wanted to do it. Quiet and silently without any fuss.

He made his way up the small lane that led to the church and the house he had been renting out - Casterby House.

He made his way up the garden path and unlocked the front door. Except he didn’t need to unlock it. It was already unlocked. In fact the door had been forced open. The wood had splintered around the lock.

He pushed the door open.

“Knock, knock,” he said.

He turned on the light in the entrance hall and he was momentarily blinded by its brightness. When his vision cleared nothing seemed out of place. The staircase was off to the right of the large hallway with a kitchen towards the back and two rooms either side - to the left the living room and the right the dining room.

A shuffling came from the living room.

“Hello?” he said, closing his umbrella. “I know there’s someone there.”

He dropped his umbrella into the ornate, iron holder beside the front door, removed his soaked blazer and strode confidentially into the living room.

Standing there in the darkness was a young woman with blondish-brown hair, holding a vase in one hand and a collection of papers in her other hand.

“Can I help you?” said the Doctor, not recognising this woman one bit.

“Where is she?” said the woman. She sounded well spoken.

“Where is who?” said the Doctor, hands on his hips.

“My sister? Where’s Alice Stokes?”




Tylaya and Maxus sat in the café, their drinks untouched and going cold, when the door opened. A man in his 50’s with greying brown hair entered followed by a beautiful, older woman, also in her 50’s, with long, blonde hair and a lot of heavy makeup applied.

Maxus touched Tylaya’s arm and the two of them stood up.

“Mum. Dad,” beamed Tylaya as her parents came over, confusion on their faces.

“No,” said her father. He had a faint South African accent.

“No?” said Maxus. “Look, Jeremia, I know our phone call was a bit weird, but-”

“No,” he repeated. “You’re not Tylaya.”

“I may not look like myself anymore,” said Ty, “but it’s still me. Still me inside this body.”

“I told you,” added her mother, “that the Eyeglass would do something like this to you.”

“Jean..” said Maxus.

“Don’t try and convince us,” said Jeremia. “Quinn, how could you do this to her? The authorities found her body. We buried her.”

“We couldn’t tell you the truth,” said Tylaya. “We weren’t in a position to.”

Jeremia shook his head. “You’re not our daughter.”

“How can you say that?” said Tylaya, trying to remain calm.

“You hurt an innocent woman,” said Jean. “You erased everything she was.”

“But I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

“But it did happen. I knew working for the Eyeglass would do this.”

“So you keep saying!” yelled Tylaya. She looked from one face to the other. Neither of them seemed to care. Her childhood had always been pretty straightforward and she never really felt much love off either of these two. She wanted to scream at them. She wanted to shout, but she couldn’t. She loved them, but they didn’t love her.

She got to her feet, flung the chair aside, grabbed Maxus’s hand and dragged him out of the café, much to her parents shock.

She walked a good ten minutes, with Maxus in tow, until she stopped. She gazed across the Thames at the new Splinter Centre that was being built on the banks. Apparently it was supposed to be conducting research into alien tech. She shook her head. If they weren’t careful they’d only end up with another Eyeglass on their hands.

“You okay?” asked Maxus when he was sure it was safe.

“Yep,” was all she could say. And then after a few beats. “No.”

He put his arm around her.

“It’s all so, so wrong. Everything. You and I. Alice. My parents. And pretty soon I’ll be dead.”

“Hey,” he said, tightening his arm around her. He smiled. “At least my parents aren’t here to screw it up even more.”

Tylaya nodded. “I wish they were though.”

“I’ve wished that every day since they died.”

They stood for a long, long time watching the GravCranes lift the various metal beams into place, forming the structure of the building. Time was running out for Tylaya.




He made his way onto the rocky banks of the river. It was still and peaceful and, thankfully, the body had drifted from the sea and down the course of the river. It was muggier down here and he could feel the sweat trickling down his face. His beard was itching and he made a note that maybe it was time to have a shave.

He absently scratched at his face. This other itching was getting annoying now.

“Wait!” came the girls voice.

He rolled his eyes and turned around. “Miss Fieldgate-Parker-”

“Just call me Millie,” said the girl, shaking her head. “I’m proud of where I come from, but bloody hell it can be a mouthful sometimes.”

“Fair enough…Millie,” he said. The words tasted wrong somehow.

“Who is that guy?” She nodded towards the body.

“I think you should return to Celestia and the others.”

“No way,” said Millie, pushing past the Master to try and get a closer look. “I’m fed up of sitting up in that castle, as grand as it is. Now who is he?”

The Master sighed. “An explanation…I hope.”

The Master pushed past her and she grunted her disapproval.

He grabbed the back of the man’s shirt collar and dragged him up onto the bank, his face still facing downwards.

“Is he dead?” said Millie, this time keeping her distance a little.

“No,” said the Master, checking for a pulse on his neck. “I’d be very surprised if this fella could die so easily.” He turned and grinned at Millie. “It’d be an interesting scientific experiment though.”

He turned the man onto his back. He wore a long, dark coat, a white open-shirted collar, black neckerchief and brownish-golden waistcoat.

He face looked old, but young at the same time, his hair a tangle of brown curls. His eyes were closed, but they moved beneath the eyelids.

“He’s dreaming,” said the Master. “He’s had quite a trip here.”

“So I’ll ask again,” said Millie. “Who is he?”

The Master grinned, and for a moment Millie thought he looked incredibly handsome, but she knew she couldn’t trust him. There was something about his eyes…

“Would you believe,” he said, allowing every word to roll off his tongue, “that this man here is one of the many versions of the Doctor.”

“What?!” said Millie, moving in for a closer look.

“This is number eight.” He chuckled. “But he comes with a very, very interesting twist.”




The Doctor returned to the living room and handed the mug of steaming hot tea to the young woman who had broken into his home. She whispered “thank you,” and put it on the coffee table.

The pieces of the vase were scattered against the far wall and the Doctor knelt down to pick them up.

“I’m sorry,” said the woman.

“It’s okay,” said the Doctor, throwing them into a wicker bin, “you were bound to have a less than happy reaction to that information.”

“It’s just…so much to take it,” she said, eyes wide and unblinking.

“Which one are you?” said the Doctor, sitting on the sofa across the room. “Which of Alice’s sisters, I mean?”

“Oh,” she said, giving a shake of her head. “Katy. Katy Stokes.”

“Never married?” queried the Doctor.

Katy smiled. “It’s only just been made legal, you know? But, no, me and Bryony aren’t ready for it yet.”

Realisation dawn on the Doctor. “Katie! Ah, you’re the trouble causer.”

“I beg your pardon?” she said, her eyes narrowing, a smile playing on her lips.

“Alice said you were the one who always got into trouble. The tearaway.”

She laughed. “That’d be right. Always into something,” she said, brushing the light-brown hair out of her face. “Alice bailed me out on a few occasions.”

The Doctor smiled. “She told me all about each of you. Sounds like you are a close bunch.”

“We were a close bunch,” said Katy. “I guess we don’t see enough of each other anymore.”

The Doctor sunk back into the sofa. He’d explained at some detail what had happened to Alice and how her body had been possessed by Tylaya. It had taken some swallowing from Katy, but she had slowly gotten herself there. That’s when Katy had thrown the vase. Not at the Doctor, but at the wall out of frustration. In anger.

Her sister was dead. The Doctor had tried to explain the bit about the “ghost” of Alice haunting the TARDIS, but it was too difficult for Katy to understand. To her, her sister was dead. Her sister was never coming back.

But now she was starting to think it over in her head. She was trying to understand.

“So where do we go from here?” said Katy. “I want to see this Tylaya.”

“That’s a bit difficult at the moment. I dropped her off in Central City - London - to try and repair things with her family.”

“I want to tell her what I think of her,” said Katy.

“Please, Miss Stokes,” said the Doctor, recognising some of the fire that used to burn in Alice’s belly, “I understand your frustration, but Tylaya is…dying. Please let her have this time to herself. Then we can think about getting Alice back.”

“But she’s not the real one,” said Katy. “She’s just a…what was it you said? A copy?”

“Essentially, yes,” said the Doctor. “She’s a back up copy. But she’s still Alice. Everything about her is still Alice.”

Katy shook her head. “I just don’t know what to think.”

The Doctor leaned forward. “Copy or no copy, your sister needs our help. I owe it to her to get her back home.”






Gallifrey…a long time ago…




Reikon entered the chamber. It was a huge, oval-shaped room. The door was set halfway up the wall and a staircase encircled the room and led down to a work-space at the bottom. In the middle of the workspace was what looked like a huge, upright telescope. It pointed towards the ornate, domed ceiling like a canon waiting to fire off a shot at a nearby enemy.

Stood at the canon, wearing red robes trimmed with gold was a handsome young man with swept back, black hair that looked like it was about to fall into his eyes at any moment. His eyes were dark and his eyebrows made him look fiercer than he actually was.

When Reikon closed the door the young man looked up and broke into a grin. “Dad.”

“Caleb,” said Reikon with a nod of the head. He kept his hands together and his eyes fixed on his son. “You called me?”

“That’s right,” said Caleb, throwing a data pad onto a desk and grinning excitedly. “I think I’ve done it.”

“Done what?” said Reikon, frowning, but remembering something that Caleb had mentioned at the back of his mind.

“Found a way to the Nest.” He clapped his hands together and then cracked his knuckles. “I’ve found a way into the nursery rhyme.”

Reikon frowned and shook his head. “It’s a nursery rhyme, Caleb,” he said. “It’s not a real place.”

“All nursery rhyme’s come from somewhere,” said Caleb, raising his eyebrows.

“That’s your mother talking,” said Reikon, chuckling to himself. “Always the superstitious one.”

“Will you at least come down here and look at some of the research?”

“Caleb, it’s getting late. I’ve had a very long day. Your mother will be waiting. She’s cooking roast Quarzain. We don’t want it ruined, do we?”

“But I can’t leave now. Seriously, I’m that close.”

Reikon glanced at the telescope. “You know you were given that grant by the Academy to do some proper research.”

“Oh, rubbish,” said Caleb. “I’ve done as much ‘real’ research as I can be bothered to do in two lifetimes. I’ve more than paid my way.”

Reikon shook his head. His son had always been strong willed, but, unfortunately, also arrogant. Not in a nasty way, but once Caleb got his claws into something, it was difficult for him to back away from it.

“What can convince you to come home for dinner?” said Reikon.

Caleb thought. “That tomorrow morning you’ll come and look at my readings?”

Reikon exhaled. He wasn’t going to give in with this. “Okay,” he said, “but that’s all I’m doing. And then we need to clear this lab and let you get on with some proper studies.”

“Whatever you say, Dad,” said Caleb, jogging up the steps to join him.

“These experiments are dangerous. They could get you killed.”







Now




The Master had carried the Doctor back up the mountain path, over his shoulder, until he reached the drawbridge that crossed the deep drop and led into the castle courtyard. Millie had hurried along just behind the Master, still trying to piece together what she had been told about the Doctor in the past. She knew he was a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. She knew things had happened to his world, but he had always been vague when talking to Caroline about it. She didn’t know if his world had been destroyed or if he simply couldn’t return there. The Doctor had never truly confirmed it.

She also knew that once upon a time he had the ability to regenerate his entire body and that his entire look and personality would change. He had done this so many times, but now the Doctor - the one she had met - had been a failed incarnation and he was dying, unable to regenerate any more.

She had no idea what number Doctor was the one she had met back in Thornsby, but this one was apparently the Eighth incarnation.

She had questioned the Master on their way back up, but the Master was more eager to get this man back to the castle and to safety.

Dennington, Celestia and Aleena had rushed out to meet them as they returned and the Master had quickly filled them in on who he was.

“This is impossible,” said Celestia, as the Master carried him up some steps and down a stone corridor that led deep inside the castle. “You can’t have him here.”

“Don’t tell me what I can or can’t do until you have the facts,” said the Master.

“Then perhaps you should tell us,” said Aleena. “Is this your plan to save him?”

“In a way, yes,” said the Master, as he opened an old wooden door and stepped down some steps into a small laboratory. In the far corner was a black cabinet with wires trailing from the interior. All around advanced computers hummed with power and cables snaked from the interior of the cabinet to a medical bed sat in the centre of the room.

With a grunt, the Master placed the Doctor on the bed and then breathed a sigh of relief. “He may not look much, but he’s heavy!”

He turned to find Celestia standing with her arms folded and her eyebrow arched.

He smiled. He knew he was in control here. They were all waiting to find out his plan. To find out where this particular Doctor had come from. He had them in the palm of his hands.

When they couldn’t wait any longer, Dennington spoke. “Come on, man, spit it out. How’s this going to help the Doctor.”

“Hmmm,” said the Master, perching himself on the edge of the bed and folding his arms. “This man here is the Eighth incarnation of your friend. It doesn’t really matter why he’s the Eighth incarnation. All that matters is that I have one here.”

“Okay,” said Celestia. “Come on, keep going.”

“Someone I have been in talks with managed to get him out.”

“Out of where?” said Millie.

“Out of a place where the dead go.”

Celestia arched her eyebrow for the umpteenth time, and the Master found his hearts melting again. He had loved her…once.

“It’s not exactly death,” said the Master, “but I can confirm that the gentleman laying here is the Eighth incarnation of the Doctor, and he most certainly is dead.”

“If that’s the case,” said Aleena, “then why is his eyes opened.”

They all looked to the Doctor on the table. His ice-blue eyes flitting around, trying to take in his surroundings.

“Ah,” said the Master with a wicked grin, “that’s where this get’s really interesting. And that’s why our story takes us back to all those years ago, back on Gallifrey with Celestia, Reikon, and their son, Caleb.”

Celestia’s face fell.

“Back to when they found the Nest.”

Next time: The story begins to unravel as the Master tells the tale of Caleb and Reikon. Coming Sunday 16th November 2015.

Family (Part 1)

A Long (Long) Time Ago…




There was a blinding flash of light and the room exploded.

There were no survivors.

At least not in this world…




Now




The dining hall was huge. A white, marbled floor reflected the three suns that shone down through the open, high-arched, grey marble windows. The view from the hall was spectacular, overlooking the valley below with the river that flowed between the two mountains.

The room, however, was very sparse. One would have expected to find grand pictures or some kind of antique objects fixed to the walls, but here there was barely anything of note.

In the centre of the dining hall was a large, long, oak table. At the far end of the table sat three people.

One was a man with dark, greying hair, a five-o’clock shadow and a world-weary look on his face.

The second person was a young girl of about 18 with long dark hair and an almost tomboyish like face.

The third person looked more out of place. She was a blue-skinned female with long, blonde hair tied into a ponytail. Despite her odd coloured she was extremely attractive.

The three people didn’t speak to each other. The man sat with his arms folded whilst the young girl cracked her knuckles and looked around the room in awe. The blue-skinned female had her legs crossed and was tapping her finger on the table impatiently.

The quietness was broken when the large, double, oak doors at the end of the hallway swung open.

A man in a black suit with long, untidy hair and an unkempt beard strolled in, his hands in his pockets. He was followed by a very elegant looking woman in a long, black dress with very red hair.

The bearded man sat at the end of the table, whilst the red-head opted to stand, her arms folded. She looked a little tired and worn down.

“Good evening,” said the bearded man.

“Evening,” said the blue-skinned woman. “Look, Matthew, what is going on here?”

The man she had referred to as Matthew held a finger up. “Ah-ah-ah. Not Matthew. Please, call me the Master, Miss Aleena.”

She closed her eyes. “Fine. What is going on here, Master?”

“Some answers would be nice,” said the man.

“Mr Dennington,” said the Master, “you’ve been patient so far. I am sure you can continue to be patient a little longer, eh?”

“You said you need my help?” said the younger girl.

“Indeed I do, Millie,” said the Master. “I need your help to help the Doctor.”

Aleena shook her head. “No. The Doctor told me about you before - the Master, that is. You hate each other.”

“Oooh,” said the Master, mocking a hurtful look on his face, “hate is such a terrible, terrible word. I do not hate him.” He smiled and chuckled to himself. “In fact I quite enjoy our encounters.”

“Can we get to the point, please,” said the red-head behind him, throwing him an angry glare.

“What is wrong with you people?” said the Master, shaking his head.

“Well,” said Aleena, “where do we begin? You appear out of the blue and uproot us from our own planets and times, tell us the Doctor needs help, and then dump us in this - magnificent as it is - dull castle on who knows what planet!”

“Well,” said the Master, leaning back in his chair, “I have gathered the three of you here for a very specific reason.” He went around the table, “Mark Dennington - you were about to be killed. I saved you. You owe me a favour. Millie Fieldgate-Parker - you want to travel with the Doctor. You’re a descendent of one of his friends. If he survives, you’ll get your wish. You’ll be his new companion. And finally, Aleena - you were there at this Doctor’s birth. You strived to help him, but you couldn’t. This is your opportunity to finish what you started.”

“And her?” said Aleena, nodding towards the red-head.

“This dear lady, is Celestia.”

Celestia gave a curt nod, but did not smile.

“And what connection does she have to the Doctor?” said Aleena.

The Master smiled and leant forward. “Would you believe it if I told you that she is his sister-in-law?”

“That’s…a little strange,” said Aleena. “In all the time I’ve know him I’ve never heard him mention family.”

Celestia smiled. “The Doctor was never very big on family matters.”

“And would you believe that all of this here all began with one, little nursery rhyme.” He smiled at their confused faces. “And it all started so long ago.”




She screamed, convulsed - her arms flailing at the side - and then fell back onto the sofa, the electrodes popping off from her temples.

The room was spinning all around her and she could barely concentrate on where she was, let alone what she was doing. She could hear raised voices and saw blurred figures moving around in her eye line.

And then a face appeared, slowly coming into focus.

It was the face of the man she loved. The face of Quinn Maxus.

“Are you alright?” he said, worry in his dark eyes.

“What the hell…?” she muttered, trying to hold back the tears.

“I’ve told him that’s it. That’s enough. No more fiddling about with your head.”

Tylaya thought back. Just after they had left Centrix, a full-on apparition of Alice Stokes had appeared to the three of them. Without thinking the Doctor had muttered something about a psychic echo and had attached two electrodes to Tylaya’s temples and attempted to pull the echo back. Maxus had strongly protested, but the Doctor and kept him back, claming that she could be in terrible danger from Alice.

“Well?” said Maxus, sitting down next to Tylaya and putting a comforting arm around her, “what was all that about?”

The Doctor was pacing up and down, wringing his hands together and grumbling to himself.

“Doctor?” said Maxus again.

“Leave him,” said Tylaya, her head pounding.

“No I won’t.”

The Doctor glanced at them and then continued to pace.

“Doctor,” said Maxus, a little louder this time. “Doctor!”

“What?!” he whirled around. Maxus had never seen him look so fierce. His eyes were wide and his face a look of pure anger. “What do you want? What are you prattling on about now?”

“We want some answers,” said Maxus. “You just made her have a fit.”

“I didn’t,” said the Doctor.

“Well something did.”

“Alice did,” said the Doctor. “Alice did it. Her body rejected her.”

“Explain,” said Maxus pointedly.

The Doctor closed his eyes and spun to face the two of them. “When Tylaya took over Alice’s body, everything about Alice - her consciousness if you like - was erased. Gone forever. However, the TARDIS is psychically linked to all of us. It had a back up copy of her stored away in it’s circuits. A psychic echo.” He grabbed his cane and pointed towards the doors. “When you walked in here as Tylaya, the TARDIS immediately knew something was wrong. It couldn’t reconcile why a different person was inside Alice’s body. It tried to put the psychic echo of Alice back into her body.”

“I never felt anything,” said Tylaya.

“No,” said the Doctor, “it was only prodding away at you. Not enough to cause you any distress. And then Maxus started to see Alice. And then we all saw her.”

“So, what, she’s like a ghost?” said Maxus.

“Yes. And she’s trying to get back into her body.”

“But it’s not the real Alice,” said Maxus with an incredulous laugh. “It’s just a copy.”

The Doctor was about to say something, but then stopped himself.

“Go on, say it,” said Maxus.

The Doctor turned away.

“I can take it,” said Tylaya. “No matter how much you and I have repaired bridges, I always knew if you were faced with the decision I’d know which you’d pick.”

The Doctor turned to face Tylaya. His face was blank. “I’d rather have a copy of Alice than no Alice at all.”

“Then I guess my days are numbered,” said Tylaya.

“No,” said Maxus, getting up and crossing to the Doctor. “No, I thought we had all this sorted. You accepted that Alice was gone.”

“It’s not just about me accepting that she’s gone,” said the Doctor, idly twisting a dial on the console and not meeting Maxus’s gaze.

“Then what?” asked Tylaya.

The Doctor flicked on the small monitor that was fixed to the top of the console. It showed a wavy line, faded and broken up. “This line represents your consciousness.” He pointed at it. “It’s breaking up.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning that this body is no longer up to the task of having a new person in it. It’s rejecting you. Pretty soon it’ll reject you completely, and then you’ll be gone forever.”




The swirling colours of the space/time vortex where stretched and torn apart when a dark crack appeared. The clouds of time spiralled around the crack until an object floated out, the crack closing behind it.

It was a man, his arms and legs flailing. And then he went cold and lifeless as he tumbled on through the vortex.




Gallifrey…a long time ago…




Reikon was a striking looking man. He had a powerful jaw line, completely bald head and a heart warming smile. When Celestia married him back in his younger days, there were many disappointed people.

He exited the court room and exhaled deeply. It had been a particularly long and tiring session, and all he could think was getting back home to the warm fire and the arms of his wife again.

This winter had been particularly harsh in the northern continent on Gallifrey and he wondered if he would ever feel warm again.

He made his way along the arch-lined corridor that overlooked the Great Fountain in the centre of the court yard. The fountain was on and a steady stream of ice-cold water gushed upwards and then crashed back down to the pool underneath. He shivered just looking at it.

Working in the archives office was a boring, thankless job. He worked alone - which he hated - and he never saw daylight, at least not until he left work.

His feet ached. He’d been standing all day sorting some particularly boring files on Non-Intervention Policy, and he had drunk gallons and gallons of Tiborous tea to keep him awake.

He headed towards a stone bench set against the corridor wall and sat himself down to rest his feet a moment.

For a long time he stared out at the fountain, watching the rows and rows of Time Lords head out of their various offices and towards their homes.

Reikon worked in the Omicron building in the Falcar district, the equivalent of 40 miles away from the capital. He very rarely visited the capital, but he one day dreamed of moving his family there and moving onto something more interesting - maybe law enforcement. Even cleaning the glass dome of the capital would be more interesting then archives.

He sighed and ran his hand over his smooth, bald head. He really should start making his way home. Celestia would be home by down and right now all he wanted to do was settle down in front of the fire with her.

And then his communicator beeped.

That’s when he got the call.

The call that marked the beginning of the end.




Now




Tylaya sat crossed legged on the bed. She had been crying. The first time Maxus had checked on her she had told him to go away. That was a good twenty minutes ago. Now she was unable to cry anymore. Her eyes felt dry and tired and her head was hurting.

Every now and then she threatened to burst into tears, but none would come out.

Maxus knocked and gently walked into the room. He put an arm around her as he sat down next to her on the bed.

“Ty-”

“It was always going to happen,” said Tylaya, sniffing.

“Not necessarily.”

“It was always going to happen,” she said, turning to him and looking directly into his eyes.

“There has to be a way.”

“You heard what the Doctor said. The TARDIS is going to keep pushing Alice back inside me until I’m gone, that’s if I don’t…die first.” She stumbled over the last of her words.

“Don’t say that,” said Maxus.

“I can’t fight this anymore.”

Maxus threw his head back and closed his eyes. “It’s all my fault. All my fault.”

“No,” said Tylaya, shaking her head quickly. She took his hand. “You gave me these last few weeks with you. I never would have had them without you.” She turned to face him. “But I shouldn’t be here. We both know that.”

“We can try and find a way out of this. Maybe transfer you to another body.”

“Maxus, no,” she said sternly. She touched his cheek with the palm of her hand. “It’s over.”

When Tylaya and Maxus returned to the console room, the Doctor had his back to them and was hunched over the console, deep in concentration. The time rotor was gently rising and falling. The couple didn’t say a word as the sound of the TARDIS engines bringing them into a landing filled the room, the high-pitched whine turning into a whooshing and grating sound before finally coming to a stop with a loud thump.

The Doctor turned to face them.

“Where are we?” said Tylaya quietly.

“Central City,” said the Doctor.

“Why?” said Maxus. “Why bring us here?”

“I thought you might like to see your family,” said the Doctor, barely able to make eye contact with them.

Tylaya nodded.

“Why?” said Maxus, already knowing the answer.

“So Tylaya can say goodbye to them.”




Millie stood on the balcony, resting her arms on the stonework and gazing out at the valley below. The suns were setting now and the sky had gone a lilac colour. The sound of the waterfall far below soothed the headache she had developed and she closed her eyes.

She could hardly believe it. She was on an alien world at last. She had dreamt about this moment for most of her life, ever since she had heard the stories of the Doctor and what her ancestor, Caroline, had gotten up to. Now here she was, living the dream.

Sort of.

The man known as the Master had gotten as far as telling them about a man called Reikon who lived on the Doctor’s home planet, Gallifrey, a long, long time ago, when Celestia had gotten upset and ran out of the entrance hall. The Master had chased after her and the three of them had been left to wander the castle.

The blue-skinned Aleena emerged from the corridor and stood beside her, admiring the view.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” said Millie.

“It is that,” said Aleena. She idly picked at a bit of ivy growing between the cracks in the stone. “What do you think this is all about?”

“I dunno,” said Millie. “To be honest I don’t really know the Doctor that well. He just appeared and saved my life and that was that. All I know is what I was told about him.”

“I met Caroline, you know,” said Aleena.

Millie turned to her, her eyes bright. “Really? What was she like?”

“Hmmm,” said Aleena, turning and leaning against the balcony, gazing up at the castle towering over her. “She was…driven.”

“Driven?”

“She wanted answers to her past. I guess she got them.”

Millie nodded.

“She was a very nice woman. I was pleased to have known her.” Aleena narrowed her eyes, looking down at Millie. “You look similar to her. She was small, just like you.”

“Less of the small,” said Millie with a laugh.

There was a sound from somewhere towards the clouds. It sounded like a cracking, splitting sound. Millie and Aleena looked all around, trying to find the location of the sound.

And then the body of a man fell from the cover of the clouds, tumbling down and down into the valley before hitting the lake with a huge splash down below.

“What the hell…?” said Millie.

They heard footsteps behind them and the Master appeared, joined by Dennington and a puffy-eyed Celestia.

“No,” said the Master. “Damn you, Helenia. It’s too early for this!”

“What is it?” said Dennington as the body rose to the surface of the water.

“A visitor,” said the Master.

Next time: The Doctor encounters an intruder. Coming Sunday 9th November 2014.