He was slumped against the TARDIS console with his whole self will ebbing away. The radiation was slowly destroying him and he felt unable to move. He’d managed to defeat the spiders, but the cost had been dear. The cost had been his own life. Already he felt his regenerative cells burning away. This was going to be the end. He had no idea how long he’d been here. Sometimes it felt like minutes, sometimes years. Nothing changed. Nothing but the pain which grew more and more and more.
Some time later he was aware that the TARDIS had stopped moving. He was no longer in the vortex. Surely his old ship must have finally dropped him off back at UNIT HQ. Summoning every ounce of strength he reached up and pulled the door lever. He didn’t care where he was, but he just could not stand being in this time machine - a tomb for him - anymore. He struggled around the console to face the door. Outside was a barren wasteland of ruin. Buildings lay in pieces whilst winds and dust storms howled around their remains. He certainly didn’t want to die here.
Just as he was about to reached for the door control again he noticed a yellow shape moving towards him. It soon became apparent that it was a very large robot with missiles mounted on it’s back. It walked through the open doors, grabbed him by his legs and dragged him through the doorway out into the dust storm. He felt unable to fight back. The hard rocks and stones bumped against his back as the robot pulled him along. The dust got into his eyes, nose and mouth and he was finding it hard to breathe. He just wanted to give up.
Bitz dragged the white-haired Doctor into Paragrim’s cargo bay and then shut the door. “I thought this was your job!” he complained.
“It is on most occasions, but you seem intent on being my sidekick, so I thought I’d let you do some of the hard work for a change.”
“He looks in a bad way,” said Bitz, examining the deep-lined face of the Third Doctor.
“He’s alive,” said Paragrim. “At least he will be for a little while.”
The Doctor’s eyes opened and he looked up at the two figures above him. He was beyond trying to work things out and simply tried to speak. “What…what now…?”
“Sorry old man, I can’t kill you yet,” said Paragrim as he made for a third sleeping device.
“Please…just have some mercy,” wheezed the Doctor.
“So, the great Doctor wants to die.”
The Doctor coughed and spluttered. He was too weak to say anymore.
Paragrim grinned and attached the device to the Doctors neck.
Suddenly there was a flash of blue and everything seemed to freeze. A split appeared in the space just before the cargo bay doors and blinding blue light emanated from the crack. Paragrim was temporarily blinded by the flash, but as his vision cleared he saw the same hooded figure who had greeted him step from the crack.
Eventually everything seemed to go back to normal and Bitz pointed towards the figure.
Paragrim reached for his blaster. “Explain what you are doing here.”
The figure stepped forward. “I have come to check that you’re doing your job correctly.”
“If you really work for the Eyeglass, then you’ll know that I always do my job correctly.”
“Thats right,” said Bitz. “He doesn’t even crack a smile unless he’s had a coffee in the morning.”
“Silence, Bitz,” said Paragrim. “Does the General not trust me?”
“The General trusts you,” said figure, “but I don’t.”
“And why don’t you trust me?”
“Because I know there is a temptation within you. A temptation to go for the 12th Doctor. And then the 13th and maybe beyond.”
“Don’t be stupid!” spat Paragrim. “That’d be going beyond what I’m getting paid for.”
“The Doctor’s a slippery character,” said the figure with a chuckle. “He may make you want to go for the rest.”
“I won’t,” growled Paragrim, becoming annoyed with the interference from this fool.
“Just the first eleven,” it said, almost as if telling a child the rules. “No more.”
“I suggest you leave now,” said Paragrim. “I don’t want anymore interference from you. The General will get the first eleven. Don’t you worry about that.”
The figure pointed towards Paragrim. “Just remember, I’m watching you.”
He slowly stepped backwards into the crack and it sealed up
‘Do you think we’ll have to worry about him again?’ asked Bitz worriedly.
‘Not if he knows what’s good for him,’ said Paragrim. ‘Now, let’s get the third one loaded into his tube and then we’ll get the fourth.’
***
The air was peaceful. The ivy around the stone walls had grown much more since the last time he was here. It was almost as if it was reaching out towards him, green leafy fingers trying to snatch at his face.
And the Doctor was deep in thought.
“Doctor?”
“Yes Adric?”
“I've been looking for you everywhere.”
“You can't have been looking for me everywhere,” said the Doctor, picking at some mud on his boot, “that would have taken you too long.”
“You know what I mean. I've been looking for you all over the TARDIS.”
The Doctor looked back at the short, dark-haired boy. “Well, you've found me. What's wrong?”
“Well nothing really.”
The Doctor got up off the stone bench and began walking through the cloister room, past the stone pillars. “If you have something to say to me, Adric, then say it now. Don't dither.”
“Well.…” he thought for a moment. He didn't want to enrage the Doctor any further but the Doctor was demanding the truth. “Well, I'm bored.”
“Bored? Bored?” said the Doctor in aghast. “How can you be bored? You're travelling the universe in a time and space machine. How can you be bored!?”
“I'm bored because, like you say, we have a time and space machine, but all we seem to be doing is floating around in the vortex. The TARDIS can go to thousands of worlds and thousand of times.”
“Billions of times!” corrected the Doctor.
“Yes, billions of times,” said Adric quickly, “but we’re just stuck here and not doing anything.”
The Doctor looked hurt. “Well there's gratitude for you. You were a stowaway. I could have simply dropped you off at the next convenient planet.”
“I’m grateful for you letting me stay, Doctor, but you seem to have gone into a very dark mood recently.”
The Doctors eyes widened and he looked down at Adric. “I do not go into moods.”
“Then explain your bad tempers.” But Adric new he had already gone too far.
The Doctor exploded. “Watch your mouth young man all I'll throw you out of the TARDIS at the next stop!” And with that he stormed off into the depths of the TARDIS.
Adric sighed. What was wrong with the Doctor? Ever since the Master had returned he’d been moping around like a puppy who’d lost it’s mother. Or had it started before that? Had it been when he’d had to say goodbye to Romana in E-Space? He knew they had been close friends, but this was something more than him missing Romana and worrying about the Master. He seemed unwilling to travel anywhere. It’s as if he was expecting something bad to happen.
It was a little time later. The TARDIS had landed somewhere in the Scottish highlands. The Doctor didn't care what the date was or even if it was safe. He just needed some fresh air. Adric had gone off to investigate some trees and the Doctor was sat on a rock throwing stones into a nearby lake. In the distance a large castle could be seen. The sound of children came from somewhere nearby.
“You look depressed,” came a voice.
“I'm not depressed,” said the Doctor without looking up. “I've just got a lot on my mind.”
“Hmmm, we all have a lot on our minds. So many tasks to perform,” said the voice again.
“You know me well,” said the Doctor as he threw a very large rock into the lake where it sank without trace. He then reached into his pocket and threw a slice of bred to some waiting ducks.
“I know of some of you,” came the voice.
A few ducks gathered around the slice of bread on the lake and then swam away when a large group of seagulls dived down and tore the soggy slice apart. “There's always someone trying to take things away from you.”
All of a sudden two of the seagulls evaporated as a laser beam hit them. “You just have to take those other people out of the picture,” came the growling voice.
The Doctor, for the first time, turned to look at the person who was talking to him. Standing behind him was the white-faced Paragrim.
“Ah, good morning,” he grinned.
“Good morning Doctor,” smiled Paragrim.
“I don't believe I've had the pleasure of your company before.”
“I've met you before this incarnation. Three times in fact.”
“Where you are Gordon's party?” asked the Doctor. He slapped his hand to his forehead. “Wait a minute! I remember something about being dragged from my TARDIS by a brute of a robot.”
Paragrim chuckled. His large shoulders shook. “Before that as well. In my cargo bay with Bitz and at the Snowcap base.”
The Doctor frowned. His memory was very fuzzy, but he had the niggling feeling that this creature standing before him was very dangerous.
He held up a hand and waved at the giant. “Got to dash. Goodbye!”
With that he began a run down the hill and towards the trees.
“Adric! Back to the TARDIS!” he called as he ran for the police box.
Paragrim grunted and began walking after the curly-haired Time Lord. Paragrim didn’t even have to run to catch up with the Doctor. Before the Doctor could arrive at the TARDIS, the bounty hunter was in front of him.
“Please allow me to leave.”
“Or what?” taunted Paragrim.
“Or I shall call on the Time Lords,” threatened the Doctor.
“Do I look frightened?” Nevertheless, Paragrim stepped out of the way. He had no desire to get involved with such powerful people as the Time Lords. Instead he reached out and grabbed the Doctor. “You're mine now.”
“I'd advise you to put me down,” said the Doctor as Paragrim lifted the Doctor up by his shirt collar.
“And I'd advise you to shut up,” growled Paragrim. He took out the device once again and attached it to the Doctor's neck. “Shut up and go to sleep!”
A little while later Adric emerged from the trees. The Doctor was nowhere to be seen. In the distance a brown coloured spaceship blasted off into the atmosphere.
Paragrim looked down at the four occupied glass tubes. Seven more to be filled and his job would be almost over.
Bitz walked into the cargo bay and crossed over to Paragrim. “Just thought you'd like to know that we’re heading for the next co-ordinates.”
“Excellent. This is going to be a job for you, yes?”
Bitz looked confused. “I don't understand.”
“The Fifth Doctor is located in the caves on one of the Androzani planets. He is currently looking for bats milk for some reason or another. I am not able to get down those tunnels. You, however, are big but you might just be able to make it, yes?”
“Yes....I mean no. No!”
“You'll do as I say, Bitz, even if I have to kick you down those mines myself.”
Bitz gulped and watched as Paragrim marched for the cockpit. Right now he wished he was back on his Centrix with his fellow robot friends. Why did he have to be picked for this job?
Next: Down into the mines for the Fifth Doctor, and to the planet Centrix for the Sixth. Coming Sunday 15th September.
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