“But Captain -”
“No! You don't know who they are yet,” responded Captain Nivere. “I told you to catch them off their guard and bring them in here. Not kill them.”
The Doctor rubbed his chin and looked past the creature that the woman had called Grasp. Stood behind the scaly humanoid was a greying, dark-haired woman. She had a rounded figure and a chubby face . She looked down her nose at the Doctor like an angry school mistress would do to a naughty schoolboy.
“So, who are you?” she asked, her hands on her large hips.
“I'm a traveller. Ouch!” replied the Doctor, rubbing his bruised jaw.
“I'm Caroline Parker,” said Caroline, offering her hand.
Nivere ignored her.
“And I'm Danny Lennon, but you're not shaking my hand.”
“I wouldn't want to, you rude young man.”
“Look, what is this thing?” asked Caroline as she tried to look over the shoulders of the huge thing named Grasp.
“I,” began Grasp, “am a product of Captain Nivere.”
“That's me, by the way,” said the woman. “Stand aside, Grasp, and let the people in.”
“They might be dangerous, Captain.”
“I assure you, my friends, we're not dangerous,” said the Doctor reassuringly.
“Let them in, Grasp,” repeated Nivere, a little more sternly.
The creature begrudgingly stepped aside. Danny slinked in and Caroline helped the Doctor off the ground and through the doorway.
What was inside appeared to be some sort of conference room. Sat around an oval-shaped table was a dark-haired, middle aged man, a young blonde man, an olive-skinned woman and a woman with long, curly red hair.
The Doctor's eyes fixed on one woman in particular. It was the curly haired one.
“Ivy!” beamed the Doctor.
“Excuse me? Do I know you?” asked the confused, Irish woman.
The Doctor ran around the table, hugged Ivy and span her around in her chair. “It's been a long time.”
“I still haven’t got a clue who you are,” laughed Ivy.
The Doctor suddenly jumped back, realisation on his face. “Of course. I’ve changed since we last met.”
Ivy thought for a moment and then broke out into a wide grin. “Doctor?”
“They very same,” he smiled.
“But…but you’re so…different!” She looked him all over. “And where’s all that hair gone?”
The Doctor ran his hand along his smooth head. “I quite like it like this.”
“And you’re so old!”
“Eh?” He looked a little hurt.
“I mean…well, you were so young before. It’s hard to believe it’s you.”
“Ahem,” said Caroline, clearing her throat. “Others in the room.”
“Sorry,” smiled Ivy, extending a hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I'm Ivy Coldstone.” She shook both of their hands.
“Caroline Parker and Danny Lennon,” said the Doctor, introducing his two companions.
“You've met these three before, Coldstone?” asked Nivere.
“No. Only the Doctor. It's been a few years now though. We used to travel together.”
“And what exactly are you doing on Theen, Doctor?” asked Nivere suspiciously.
“The same as you. Exploring. It's what I do, you see.”
“You're after the Eye?”
“The Eye?”
“Yes,” began Ivy, acknowledging Caroline and Danny too. “It's some sort of mystic relic. They say it can turn people into gods.”
The Doctor frowned. “I think I may have heard something about that before. A long time ago though.”
Nivere sighed. “Coldstone, may I remind you that this is my expedition and you're only coming along because I’ve allowed it.”
“Perhaps we could all be introduced,” came the blonde man's voice.
“Yes, of course,” said Nivere, forgetting her manners.
“Well, if you don't mind, Captain, I'd like to have some time alone with the Doctor,” she smiled. “We‘ve got a lot to catch up on.”
Ivy guided the Doctor from the conference room.
“You two stay here and say hello to the others,” called the Doctor from the corridor.
“Cheers,” replied Caroline under her breath.
Ivy led the Doctor to the room she shared with the woman, Aamina. Once inside she sat on the lower bunk bed and the Doctor pulled up a chair and sat at the table. For a moment she just sat staring at him and then shook her head smiling.
“What's wrong?” asked the Doctor, suddenly feeling very paranoid.
“I just can't believe it's you,” she said, laughing.
“Who would have thought we’d run into each other again?”
“And on Theen as well.” She clasped his hand. “I’ve missed you, you know.”
The Doctor smiled sadly. “I always miss you, Ivy. Travel in the TARDIS isn’t the same without you.”
“I considered coming back, you know.”
The Doctor nodded. “I know. But after what happened with Leska -”
Ivy held her hand up. “Don’t worry, please.” She smiled. “Life goes on.”
The Doctor examined the scrabble board that was on the small, put-up table. “Still playing, are you?”
“Oh yes. Aamina and I like to have a game every day. And she usually beats the socks off me. You're not into it again are you?”
“Oh no. Haven't played for a long time.”
She picked up a scrabble tile and turned it over and over. Then she looked back at the Doctor. “When are you going to regenerate into someone a little closer looking to my age again? You were perfect before.”
The Doctor laughed.
Caroline and Danny had been introduced to the rest of April Nivere's crew. First there was her 'product', Grasp. Apparently he had been found in a swamp on Menta IV as a small, baby lizard. However, within a few months he'd mutated rapidly into a fully grown, walking and talking lizard man. That was a few years ago and Nivere had taken him under her wing to teach him and guide him through life.
The next person they'd been introduced to was Nivere's closest friend in the group and her confidant. His name was Mark Dennington, an amiable man in his mid forties and a gentle and quiet type. Caroline had taken to him immediately. He seemed like the sort of man that she could be friends with and trust. He reminded her of Mr Cope, her landlord. His wife had died in a moon accident seven years previously and he'd decided that the only way to get away from the solar system and all the bad memories was to join his wife's old friend, Nivere, on her exploration team.
The third man was closer to their age. His name was Alan Bridges. A rather sarcastic individual and full of hot headed ideas on how a mission should be conducted. Danny had already begun chatting and laughing with him, but Caroline wasn't keen on him.
The final person in the party was Aamina Anush. She was a young, Asian woman, but was extremely quiet. She'd only spoken to say hello to Caroline and Danny and then had simply been content to sit and watch. So far Caroline hadn't had any luck in finding out anything from her.
Then there was April Nivere herself. A very stubborn and forthright woman who liked to throw her weight around and show that she meant business. She reminded Caroline of her old history teacher at school, always well spoken and demanding that her pupils take note. But there was something hidden behind her tired dark eyes. A desire for adventure.
Now they were sat around the table chatting about various things.
“So tell us about the Doctor,” said Bridges.
“Yes. He seems like an intelligent man. Is he a relation?” asked Dennington.
“No, we just travel with him,” said Caroline dismissively.
Bridges laughed. “I couldn’t stand being cooped up with the same people all the time. If I had a choice I'd choose to explore on my own.”
“Then why don't you?” asked Nivere, as if trying to force the man out of her group.
“Because you, Captain, have a ship. I don't.”
“Then don't cheek me or you‘ll be back at Dimfrent 21 before we even start looking for the Eye.”
The others laughed, except Aamina, but they knew that under the laughter there was a seriousness to the Captain's threat.
“So, you're looking for some eye that turns you into a God?” asked Danny eagerly.
“Yes. But surely you've heard of it?” chuckled Nivere.
“No. Why, should I have heard of it?”
“Everyone's heard of the Eye of the Gods. Or as it's been called for the past few centuries; the Eye of the Jungle.”
“Nope.”
“Oh dear, where've you been locked away?”
Caroline jumped in quickly. “We've just been out of touch. Travelling with the Doctor does that I'm afraid.”
“He seems like a very interesting guy,” said Aamina for the first time during the conversation.
“Well, yes, he is. He's travelled a lot and probably seen more planets and galaxies then any of you.”
“Well then,” said Nivere, adopting a incredulous tone to her voice, “I'll have to have a good chat with this Doctor.”
“You'll have to prise him away from Ivy first,” said Dennington. “They must have had a bit of a history together.”
The door slid open with a whoosh and the Doctor walked in.
“So you've finally come to say hello, have you, Doctor?” asked Nivere.
“Yes I have.”
Ivy followed from behind. “Sorry, we've been having a little chat and didn't realise how long we'd been away.”
“That's quite all right. Now, Doctor, I want to ask you a few questions.”
“All in good time, April,” said the Doctor. “Can we come with you?”
“What?”
“Ivy tells me you're going on an expedition into the jungle to look for this Eye.”
“Yes we are,” answered Bridges. “But it's got nothing to do with you.”
“I know it hasn’t, but it's been so long since I've been on an expedition. I'd just like to tag along and I'm sure Caroline and Danny would like to as well.”
Caroline was about to object when the Doctor interrupted them.
“See, I told you so. Let's get ready then.” And with that he marched out of the room.
“Ahem,” said Ivy, grinning like a fool. “I'm sorry about that. He always did like to take charge.”
Well not on this occasion, thought Nivere. “Okay, you can join us, but only as spectators. We take the treasure back with us.”
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