April Nivere: Intergalactic explorer and discoverer of the Crystal of Sontar. She prided herself on her job. No, it wasn't a job, it was a hobby. It was a way of life.
When she was a little girl she'd wanted to become a great explorer. She’d read holo-novels on the subject and just wanted to get out there. When she was nine she'd made a promise to herself to do just that. And now here she was. Her own ship, her own band of merry explorer's and heading for one of the most unusual places in the universe - Theen.
She'd heard the stories about it. Centuries ago a man had crash landed on a desert world and had been touched by the legendary Eye of Gods. He'd become all powerful and had created a beautiful jungle world full of animals, insects, trees and all manner of creatures. She'd even heard rumours that he had created his own people to guard him, his fortress and the Eye. Though why a God would need to be guarded by mere mortals she'd never know.
“Captain Nivere?”
It was her trusty friend and second in command Mark Dennington.
Dennington was a middle aged man of about 45. He had wavy black hair and deep inset eyes that shone with enthusiasm. And he was about the only one that April felt she could talk to. Sure, her band of explorer's were a decent bunch, and enthusiastic too, but she never at ease with them. And it showed, unfortunately. Her colleagues always found ways to stay as far away from her as possible.
All except Dennington.
“Yes, Mark, what can I do for you?”
“You seemed to be in another world for a minute there, sir,” he said kindly.
“Please, Mark, you should know after all of this time that you don't need to call me sir. Call me April.”
“You know I've never been keen on calling you by your first name.”
“Why ever not?” asked Nivere, laughing.
“Because you're our leader. The leader of the expedition. You must be respected.”
“Very well,” she smiled. “If it makes you feel any better you can call me Captain, but not sir.”
Dennington nodded slowly and smiled. “Thank you, Captain.”
“What's our status?” asked Nivere, returning to the matter at hand.
“We're coming into orbit around Theen. Do we go down?”
“Better now than never, Mark. Tell the pilot to find a clearing and take us in.”
Dennington crossed over to a stocky, blonde haired young man who was sat at the pilots seat. “Bridges, Captain Nivere has ordered out descent.”
“Anything else?” he asked in a cockney accent. “Does she want a cup of coffee with that?”
“Show more respect for our captain and make the descent.”
“Okay, okay,” moaned Bridges. “Beginning the descent now.”
The ship broke out of it's orbit and tilted downwards towards the planet. As it entered the atmosphere of the jungle world it began to rattle slightly.
“Steady, Bridges,” said Nivere to the pilot.
“I know, Captain, I know,” he replied, angry that the Captain was trying to tell him how to fly a spaceship after all his years of experience.
“Locate a suitable place for landing, Aamina.”
“Aye, Captain Nivere,” said the Eastern looking woman sat at a control panel behind Nivere. “We're detecting a number of primitive dwellings. There's a clearing a few miles from them.”
“Sounds like a reasonable place to put down until we can find out where the fortress is,” offered Dennington.
As the ship made it's final landing checks the metal door swished open and a tall woman with long, flowing curly, red hair and freckles stepped onto the bridge. She looked to be in her 30‘s. She put her hands on her hips and watched through the front viewscreen.
“Can I help you, Coldstone?” asked Nivere.
“Oh no it's okay. Just thought I'd come and see the view.“ She had an Irish accent.
“Well we'll be landing any minute. Perhaps you should strap yourself into your seat.”
“I'm sure I'll be okay,” she said, giving a ‘don’t order me about’ smile to the Captain.
“Yes, but I'd feel much better if -”
“Captain I've been on more space ships than you can possibly imagine. Believe me, landing on a jungle planet isn't going to scare me.”
“Fair enough.” Nivere turned back to the view screen. This Ivy Coldstone, as she gave her full name, was a strong woman, but Nivere was strong minded as well and she wasn't going to let this jumped up madam get the better of her group.
Bridges began to speak as the ground rolled towards them on the view screen. “Prepare for landing in 5-4-3-,”
Nivere straightened in her seat.
“-2-1.”
There was a loud grinding and the ship felt as though it was about to fall apart, shaking wildly as it touched down on the surface of the planet until it finally came to a rest. Nivere looked back. Coldstone was still stood there with her hands on her hips, grinning at the captain. She hadn’t budged an inch during the landing
“Okay people, let's get our stuff together. Meet me in the briefing room and we’ll discuss plans for the expedition.” Nivere got up, raised her eyebrows at Coldstone, and then left the bridge.
“Did you hear that?” asked Caroline.
“Yes, indeed I did,” said the Doctor, trying to peer through the dense tree's.
“It was loud,” said Danny. “Perhaps it was an explosion.”
“No. It sounded more like some old spaceship. The thrusters sounded like the old H7 class. It came from over there.” He pointed towards an area were the jungle didn't look as dense. “Come on!”
The Doctor set off in a brisk walk, pushing aside vines and creepers that hung from the trees. Caroline and Danny trailed a little slowly behind him, but by now they were getting used to the Doctor's eagerness to get straight into a situation.
Yentob, the ebony skinned man, was perched between some branches watching the travellers like an eagle.
He turned to Slavin who was sitting on a branch above him. “More travellers do you think?”
“Of course, my boy. It was the sound of a great space ship. We've heard that sound many times before.”
“Then we must destroy them.”
“Don't be so impatient,” said Slavin. “First let us watch them. We must report what we see to our Lord.”
“If our Lord is so great, why do we need to do his work?”
“Do not speak of our Lord’s ways,” warned Slavin, half whispering. “This is a test. He can see what happens all around him, but he would prefer for his servants to do his bidding.”
“Forgive me, Slavin,” said Yentob, suddenly aware that the all-powerful was probably listening to him at this very moment. “I meant no disrespect.”
“I know you didn't, boy,” said the older man, shaking his head, “but you must restrain your urges to try and understand our great God.”
“I shall try.” But in his heart he knew that he wouldn't rest until he understood everything he could about his Lords power.
The Doctor, Caroline and Danny emerged into the clearing of the jungle. Around them was fairly low grass and only a few birds perched in low shrubs. Sat in the middle of the large clearing was a patched up old crate of a spaceship.
“Look at that!” said Caroline, wide-eyed.
“It's a piece of junk,” snorted Danny.
“Yes, but for a piece of junk it's very impressive,” smiled the Doctor. “It's a small travel ship. They were built to carry around twelve people.”
“I wouldn't fancy being cooped up in that thing in space,” said Danny. “It looks filthy.”
“Well so would you if you travelled through deep space,” said the Doctor.
They crossed the clearing, glancing around to check they weren't in any danger, and then jogged to the underneath of the ship. It was supported on four large, metal struts; two at the front and two at the back. In the middle of the under-belly of the ship was a circle which the Doctor thought to be an access hatch or a doorway.
“Anyone in?” called Caroline.
“We all remember what happened last time we tried to get into a spaceship,” said Danny, thinking back to the Pythagoras on Trixatin.
“Perhaps they're too busy to have noticed us,” said the Doctor. “Come on, let's get up there.”
“Wait, Doctor,” said Caroline, grabbing his arm. “Are you sure it's safe? I mean, they might be space mercenaries or something. They might blast our heads off with guns.”
“Oh I've dealt with all sorts of people. We'll be okay.”
The Doctor took out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the circular hatch and after a few whirs and beeps the hatch opened.
“Great,” said Danny. “Now how do we get up there?”
The Doctor pressed another button on the screwdriver and a metal ladder unfolded out from next to the hatch.
“Very clever,” said Danny.
The Doctor grinned at his two companions. He allowed Caroline and Danny to go first and then climbed the ladder after them.
The inside of the spaceship was fairly dull and grey with not much in the way of furnishings. The Doctor sniffed the air as his head poked up from the opening and joined his companions. It had a fairly sterile smell. A sound caught his ear.
“Can you hear that too?” asked Caroline.
“Sounds like people talking,” said Danny.
“It's coming from one of these rooms,” said Caroline, pointing down the small corridor they'd emerged in.
They moved down the corridor, but the Doctor decided to check every room before heading to the one with the voices coming from it. He pressed a button next to the first door and it slid open to reveal two bunk beds set into the wall and a table in the middle with a few cards on it.
He crossed to the other side of the corridor and the same thing lay inside the other room. Most of the back end rooms seemed to be living quarters. Another door opened to reveal a small medical bay with bits and pieces of medical implements. Another couple of rooms were store rooms containing equipment and weapons.
“So they're dangerous?” asked Caroline, noticing the large space gun.
“Not necessarily. If you were travelling around in a space ship, at the mercy of all sorts of hostile alien life, I'm sure you'd take a few weapons to protect yourself.”
Eventually they arrived at the door where the talking was coming from. The Doctor pressed his ear to the metal and could hear a number of muffled male and female voices and one which had a harsh sound to it.
“Well?” asked Danny.
“Let's say hello, shall we?” smiled the Doctor.
The talking stopped abruptly. The Doctor backed away from the door and it slid open to reveal a scaly, green, human-sized lizard standing upright in the doorway. It wore some form of brown leather clothing leaving it's fiendish head exposed. It's teeth were clenched tightly together and looked extremely sharp. It stepped forward, it's red eyes glowing brightly.
“Die intruders!” it yelled as it raised it's clawed fist.
“No!” said the Doctor.
But it was too late.
The Doctor was thumped straight on in the jaw and collapsed to the ground. Caroline knelt beside the Doctor and Danny shielded himself as they prepared to be attacked by the creature.
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