The First Eleven: Chapter 2 (The Third & Fourth)

Failure. It was a word he was not inclined to always accept, but it was the truth.

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.

The First Eleven: Chapter 1 (The First & Second)

The Doctor was in a dream-land. His head span and the softness of the mattress beneath him seemed to become more and more vague as he drifted in and out on consciousness. A few minutes ago he had been standing in the tracking room with Ben, Polly and that terrible General Cutler. They had discovered what he knew to be a new planet - Mondas - and then he had blacked out. He was aware that he had been carried by the medics to one of the bunk rooms and put down on a bed and then heard, in the corner of his awareness, Ben and Polly leave him on his own. Now he was struggling to gather his thoughts together. He knew what this all meant. For him the issue of Mondas was a minor problem. It would work itself out anyway. It was his immediate future that was of greater concern.

The Doctor suddenly became aware of a commotion in the room. There was a scuffling sound and then a stifled scream. The sound of something heavy dropping to the floor and being dragged out of the way made the Doctor even more apprehensive. Somebody very dangerous had entered the room.




Paragrim crossed to the bed where the old man was resting. So, this was the First Doctor. This was his first incarnation. The cube that his associate had given him had tracked this incarnation to the most vulnerable point of his life. Paragrim leaned in closer and looked at the old man. He was very, very weak and had broken out in a sweat.

Paragrim extended a bony hand and clamped it on the old man's shoulder. “Wake up,” he growled.

The old man remained still.

“Wake up!” he said a little louder.

The Doctor mumbled but still didn't wake up.

“Get up you old fool!” he yelled and shook the Doctor violently.

The Doctor yelled in alarm and awoke in a half-asleep, half-awake daze. “Wha-what's going on, hmm? What is it?”

“Good,” growled Paragrim. “Get off the bunk, yes?”

“And who might you be, sir?” asked the Doctor groggily. “A beast from Fissure VII?”

“The name's Paragrim. Now get off the bed and come with me. You're part of my mission here.”

“But-but you're not one of the creatures from Mondas, are you?”

Paragrim stopped himself and scanned his personal history archives. Mondas? He had heard of that before. The original home planet to the Cybermen. Paragrim frowned and looked down. “I am not a Cyberman. Now come with me!”

“I refuse,” said the old man defiantly.

“Knew this would be awkward,” muttered Paragrim and grabbed the old man, dragging him off the bunk.

“Unhand me, sir!” said the Doctor wearily. But he was already out cold before he could protest any longer. Paragrim slung him over his shoulder and left the room. He walked down the empty corridor with his blaster in one hand and the Doctor slung over his shoulder.

After a few minutes of trekking through the corridors he became aware that another person was heading towards him. He raised his blaster and waited around the corner. A few seconds later a stocky looking man with mousey hair stepped around the corner followed by a pretty blonde girl. Both looked to be in their early twenties.

“Bloody hell!” said the man, holding out a hand to stop girl.

The girl looked up and put a hand to her mouth. “What is it, Ben?”

“I don’t know, Polly.” The man called Ben suddenly realised that Paragrim was carrying the Doctor over his shoulder. “What you doing with the Doc?”

“Move aside germ.” growled Paragrim.

“Put the old geezer down and we’ll get out your way?” reasoned Ben.

Paragrim lifted his blaster and aimed at Ben. “The old geezer is mine.”

“Ben, don’t antagonise him,” pleaded Polly.

“Don’t worry Duchess, I’ll get him to see reason.”

“No reasoning with me. Got a job to do. Gonna finish the job and I don’t need Humans getting in the way.” He pulled the trigger on his blaster and fired at the ceiling. Dust and smoke billowed from the blast area and Polly and Ben began coughing as their vision was obscured.

“Warned you,” said Paragrim as he trudged past them.

Ben looked to Polly. “Where’d he go?”

“I don’t know,” said Polly desperately. “But where ever he went he took the Doctor with him!”




Paragrim eventually found the room he was after. There was nobody else around. Probably all occupied with some other crisis. He climbed a metal ladder and emerged into the snowy blizzard outside.

He pushed on through the blizzard until a dull brown shape emerged from the white snow storm. Half buried in the deep snow was Paragrim’s ship. It was relatively small, squat and rather ugly looking, but it had done it's job so far.




The door swished open and he clambered inside the large cargo hold. He put the Doctor down in one of the transparent tubes the mysterious man had given him and then attached a device to the old man's neck. A pulse shot through the Doctor's skin and then he detached it again.

“Heh. That should keep you sleeping until we get back.”

He turned and made his way towards the cockpit.

Sat in the cockpit was a robot who was about half his size. He was yellow and had red arms and what looked like a missile attached to his back. He looked rather grumpy and had his arms folded across his chest. His blue-glassed visor eyes looked at Paragrim and then back to looking forward.

“Finished the job?” asked the robot.

“Yes,” said Paragrim simply. “A job well done, and bit too easy for me.”

“I don't know,” said the robot. “I had to stay here.”

“You, Bitz, are a walking buffoon. I don’t know why our mysterious friend sent you along in the first place.”

Bitz got to his feet. He came up to the height of Paragrim waist. He pointed up at the bounty hunter.

“I’ve done jobs like this before, you know.”

Paragrim pushed him back into his seat and glared at him. “Sidekicks never work out.”

“I’m not a sidekick,” argued Bitz.

Paragrim kicked Bitz in his side and he fell to the floor. “You’re a silly service robot. I’ve met your kind before. Centrix robots. They use you back on Earth in the major cities. You’re all becoming outdated now, though.”

“I have feelings, you know? I’m not just like every other service robot.”

“Oh no,” said Paragrim as he sat down in the chair, “a robot with emotions! What next?”

“We shall have our day. I promise you that.”

Paragrim glared at Bitz. “Shut your face, Bitz.” The ship rattled. “And take it easy. This ship is loaded with all the chemicals and viruses you could wish for. We don’t want to infect either of us.”

“What viruses?”

“Killing viruses,” smiled Paragrim. “I’ve got the biggest array of weapons known in this quadrant.”

“Never a dull moment with you, is it?” said Bitz.

“Just be careful!” snapped Paragrim as the ship lifted off and headed for it's next destination.




***




It was only recently since it had happened. That burning sensation he had never felt before, only read about at the academy and heard from others on his home world. Now he had experienced it and it had been slightly....disappointing. For a long time he had sensed the onset of a regeneration. His First incarnation had been pushed to the limits and he had been deteriorating rather rapidly. The departure of his granddaughter, Susan, a few years back hadn't helped matters. He'd mellowed a little more, but found situations much more difficult to deal with. His pathetic fainting in the tracking room at Snowcap base a while back had only confirmed that the change was coming.

The actual event had felt as though someone had flooded his whole body with electricity and then stripped away the old skin to leave something younger and more refreshed. He'd felt his cells changing and his body altering size and weight. Then there was the uneasiness. His two companions, Polly and Ben, hadn't really understood. Polly was beginning to possibly believe that he had changed and he was still the Doctor, but Ben was unsure. He himself hadn't helped. Going on talking about himself in the third person. But at the moment it felt as though the Doctor was a different person altogether.

He'd set the TARDIS moving and then disappeared into the depths of the time machine. Now he was skipping gleefully through the corridors, playing his recorder and occasionally stopping to examine a roundel or an item that he came across.

His joy would have continued a little longer if it wasn’t for a violent shudder that made him fall to the floor in an almost comical way. The lights in the TARDIS flickered a little and then the ship stabilised. Getting up, the Doctor looked around him curiously and then began a skip back to console room.




Polly and Ben were unconscious and lying on the floor of the white console room. The room hummed with power and, amazingly, the doors of the TARDIS were open.

The Doctor skipped in, looked down at Polly and Ben and then up at the open doors in horror. “Oh dear, oh dear. How could that have happened?”

The voice seemed to call from beyond the confines of the TARDIS. “Come and find out.”

“Who's there?” asked the Doctor cautiously. He recognised the voice. He was sure he’d heard it only recently, but couldn’t place it for the life of him.

“He said come and find out,” said another, more relaxed and laid back voice.

“You've stopped the TARDIS in mid-flight. A very dangerous thing to do,” he said into the darkness. There came no reply.

This made the Doctor agitated. He wanted to check on his two young companions, but at the same time he wanted to know who had halted his ship. Whoever it was had to have a purpose. Stealing his nerves and gripping his recorder tightly, he walked in the darkness.




He emerged in a large cargo bay. He looked around in curious interest. The TARDIS was standing beside a wall and over in the far corner appeared to be eleven glass tubes. The first one had an occupant inside of it.

“Interesting,” mused the Doctor, completely forgetting the voices that had called him out here. He crossed over to the first tube and looked in. He recoiled in horror when he saw his former self comatose within.

“Oh, he's found the tubes,” came a sarcastic voice.

“So he has,” came the more dangerous-sounding voice.

The Doctor span around and almost fell over. Standing before him was a skull-white faced man with a blue hood and blue armour. Once again something connected with a recent memory. Standing beside him was a yellow and red robot, standing about the half the height of the 7ft man. He was carrying what looked like a very large laser gun.

“Who are you?” asked the Doctor carefully.

“My name's Paragrim,” said the giant, “and this here is my, ah, assistant, Bitz”

“I’m the brains behind this,” said the small robot, “he’s just the brawn.”

Paragrim growled and grabbed Bitz by the neck, hefting him up to his height. “One more slur and you'll no longer have a brain. Understand?”

“Yes,” choked Bitz.

Paragrim set him down and then looked down at the impish Doctor. “I've come a long way for you. You've seen what's in the first tube?”

“Yes, it's me. Me before I changed that is.” The Doctor had begun to regain his composure. “What's he doing in there?”

“He's my prisoner,” grinned Paragrim, “and so are you.” He turned to Bitz who was still holding the laser gun. “Hand me the device.”

Bitz did as he was told and Paragrim closed in on the Doctor.

“No, wait!” protested the small man.

Paragrim stopped and looked down at the Doctor. “Heh, no pleading will save you.”

“I didn’t expect it would, but if I am to become your prisoner then I expect a last request.” The Doctor raised his eyebrows and smiled.

“He’s right, you know,” said Bitz from behind Paragrim.

“I don’t give last requests,” sneered Paragrim.

The Doctor stepped back a little. “I just want you to see Ben and Polly safely home.”

Paragrim looked towards the Doctor’s TARDIS. “I recognise those names.” He remembered the two young humanoids from the Snowcap base. “And they’re in there?” He indicated the TARDIS.

“Well....well yes,” said the Doctor.

Paragrim looked to Bitz and nodded. “Sort it out.”

Bitz hurried across the room and pressed a few buttons on a nearby console. The cargo bay doors creaked open and the Doctor suddenly felt the air being sucked out. He felt himself being sucked towards the door and to the blackness of space. Paragrim clamped an arm around him and dragged him back. Bitz hung on as bits of rubbish and unfixed objects began to fly through the bay doors and out into space. Then, finally, the blue police box was dragged across the floor and blown out into space.

“No!” shouted the Doctor, as he watched his TARDIS, containing Ben and Polly, disappear into the darkness.

The bay doors closed and Paragrim looked at the struggling Doctor fighting in his grip. “Good job we fixed those stasis tubes down, eh? Otherwise we’d have sucked your first body out into space too.”

Bitz laughed from the console as Paragrim dropped the Doctor. “We gonna get the third one or what?”

“Patience, Bitz,” said Paragrim.

The Doctor began to scramble across the floor, but it was too late. Paragrim had attached the device and the Doctor felt himself drift into a drowsy sleep. He had failed himself, his previous incarnation, Ben, Polly....he was doomed for sure. The last thing he was aware of was Bitz and Paragrim chuckling away to themselves.

Next: The hunt continues when Paragrim and Bitz track down the Third and Fourth Doctors. Coming Thursday 12th September.

The First Eleven (Prologue)

The hooded figure shuffled into the room and then quickly, and rather fluidly, slid across to his desk. The room had a cold and clinical feel to it. The walls were grey and bare with high, white strip-lights on the ceiling. The desk was uncluttered and the chair had no artistic design what-so-ever. A very large gateway was situated opposite the desk at the other end of the room.

The doors began to slide open and beyond the door was what could have been described as half a giant. The creature was humanoid shape, stood about 7 ft high and wearing blue armour plating all over it's body. The white flesh beneath the armour rippled with huge muscles. It wore a dark, blue hood, but pulled it back to expose its head - a white, skull-like head with stretched, white flesh partly augmented with cybernetic tech. He had no nose, his eyes were yellow and his teeth were jagged and vicious.

The thing simply stood there and looked down at the man at the desk.

“Come in, my friend,” said a silky voice from beneath the hood. “I've been expecting you.”

“I don't like people expecting me,” growled the creature's voice. It's sounded fierce but remained calm. “I come when I wish.”

“Indeed,” said the hooded man. “I believe that is why the General picked you for the job.”

“I was not picked; I chose to accept his offer.”

The hooded man chuckled and lent back in his chair. “I like your attitude, Paragrim. Oh, I apologise for the slight disruption to your operations as you brought your ship in. Technical difficulties, you see?”

The metal above Paragrim's eye rose a little in interest.

The man realised, for the first time, that Paragrim had one hand on his blaster. His grip was now more relaxed.

“Do sit down.”

Paragrim gestured around the room. “Hard to sit down when the only chair in the room is the one you're sitting on. And it’s too small anyway.”

The man chuckled again and pressed a button on his desk. Paragrim instantly went for his blaster, but then stopped. A shape shimmered in front of him, solidified and then took on the resemblance of a large chair. “Explain,” said Paragrim simply.

“It's a hard-light hologram. Picked up the tech on a mining ship.” The man gestured to the large seat. “Please, sit down.”

Paragrim breathed in heavily and then walked over to the chair. His footsteps echoed and almost shook the room, but the man kept his calm. The giant looked at the small man and his desk and then to his own chair. He reached out a hand and gently touched it with his hand.

“Hmm....I’d expect to be able to pass through a hologram.”

The man put his fingers together in a steeple shape. “I told you, it’s hard-light technology. It’s solid.”

Paragrim pondered and then carefully sat down. After a moment he relaxed and looked down at the man. “I've never seen technology like this.”

“You poor soul. Where have you been living?” asked the man with a laugh.

“Many places,” said Paragrim vaguely.

“I've done a lot of studying into your background.” The man punched a few buttons and looked at an internal screen situated in his desk. “One of your major jobs was involving the Bandrils, I believe.”

Paragrim nodded. “An un-agreeable bunch. I almost let my business with them ruin my life and my work.”

“Yes. It says here that you were beaten by the insane Emperor of the Bandrils, known as Fliss.'

Paragrim lurched forward angrily and he looked down at the little man. “How do you know all of this?”

“I have my contacts,” said the man calmly.

“Don't like contacts. They get in the way. Know too much about you.”

Paragrim wasn't sure but believed the man to be smiling under the hood.

“Now,” continued the man, “after the Bandril incident, you were imprisoned by the Thelta’s on Dennison IV, yes?”

Paragrim slammed his fist on the desk and shattered the computer screen. “Do we need to hear this?”

“I felt it important that we got our facts straight,” said the man apologetically.

“I know my past and so do you. There's no need to talk it out between us. Just get on with the business at hand.”

“As you wish,” said the man calmly. “After your mission on Dennison IV -” Paragrim growled. “Please, allow me to continue. This is all important.” Paragrim relaxed again. “After your mission on Dennison IV, you met a Time Lord. His name was -”

“The Doctor,” slurred Paragrim.

“During the Lighthouse Incident with the Eyeglass.”

“Do you not work for them?” asked Paragrim.

“Not exactly. Like you, they use me as an asset. The General contacted me and asked me to put together a plan to destroy the Doctor. He said I’d be using you. You were a valuable asset.”

Paragrim nodded. “After I went on board his ship, he gave me the co-ordinates for here. Said you’d tell me the entire plan.”

The hooded man nodded. “I want you to travel through time and get me the first eleven incarnations of the Doctor.”

“What? Why? And why the first eleven?” Paragrim was confused. He wasn’t sure what number the Doctor he met was, but he knew it was a long time after the Eleventh incarnation.

“The first eleven are…unique. There is something within their cell structure that I need. The 12th onwards does not have it. Bring me each one of them, alive, and I shall take what I need and then destroy them.”

“A risky business though, eh? Killing each one would create disturbances in the fabric of space and time.”

“It's worth it.”

A thought suddenly dawned on Paragrim. “The Doctor has played an important part in the universe, yes? If he dies eleven times then it'll cause problems in time. What about me? I've met him. Some of his actions have resulted in things happening for me. What happens to me? Do I get wiped from history?”

“You're correct that chaos will ensue, but I can save you. I can get you out of here and into another, undamaged pocket universe.”

“I need some assurances.”

“I have a time machine.”

“So do I. The General installed a time-drive into the ship he gave me.”

“But does it have universe-hopping technology?” asked the man quickly.

Paragrim remained silent.

“I thought not. Believe me, Paragrim, I will save you. You will live to fight in a new universe. A fresh universe for you to do your bounty hunting in.”

“I don't like that term,” spat Paragrim.

The man held up his hands apologetically. “I meant no disrespect.”

“None taken.” Paragrim stifled a smile and a chuckle. “What's the reward? The General said 100,000,00 credits.”

“Oh, let’s up that a little bit. How does 500,000,000 credits sound?.”

Paragrim nodded in agreement.

“So it’s a deal?” asked the man hopefully.

“I regret not going after my Doctor, but the first eleven…that sounds too good to pass up on.”

The man clapped his hands together. “Excellent!”

“Just one thing,” said Paragrim. “Why don't you reveal your face?”

The man paused and then seemed to pull the hood down a little more. “I had a nasty accident a while ago. It was on Earth, actually. I don't think you'd find my face agreeable.”

“A shame for you. I don't let my customers care about my appearance.”

“Quite,” said the man, eager to get off the subject. He produced a small, cube-like object with a tiny cylinder on the underneath. “This cube will fit into your ship's console. It will locate each of the Doctors at accessible and vulnerable points in space and time. It'll make it easier for you to get them.”

Paragrim took the cube from the man and turned it over in his hand.

“Remember though: the Doctor is a slippery character and even if he is vulnerable he will attempt to find a way to defeat you.

“I shall defeat him first.” grinned Paragrim.

The man nodded. “Good luck, Paragrim.”

The giant rose from his chair and headed towards the gateway. Before he exited he turned back to the man. “I hope, for your sake, that this is not a deception. I’d be very unhappy if that were the case.”

The man held out his hands in a gesture of innocence. “I simply want the Doctor brought here and destroyed.” Before Paragrim left the man called to him again. “One more thing: I've left you an assistant in the landing bay. I hope you don't mind. I'm sure you'll find him useful.”

“I don't get on with assistants,” said Paragrim.

“He's just there to watch your back.”

Paragrim inclined his head in reluctant agreement and then left.

When the hooded stranger was sure Paragrim had left his chamber he collapsed back into his chair. Now all he could do was wait.

Next: Paragrim tracks down the First and Second Doctor's. Coming Monday 9th September.

50th Anniversary Special: The First Eleven

“The first eleven are…unique. There is something within their cell structure that I need. The 12th onwards does not have it. Bring me each one of them, alive, and I shall take what I need and then destroy them.”

How many Doctor's are there? Paragrim doesn't know. He doesn't even know how far in the future "his" incarnation of the Doctor is, but he knows he has one job: find and locate the first eleven incarnations of the Doctor.

His journey takes him from Snowcap base to the metal cities of Centrix and to Blackpool.

But as Paragrim continues his mission he soon starts to realise that perhaps not all is as it seems.

The is the 50th anniversary story from "Doctor Who: Darkpaths", featuring the first eleven Doctors and an array of companions. 

"The First Eleven" will begin on Saturday 7th September 2013.

The Problem with Death: Chapter 12 (End of the Road)

The Doctor stood before the machine. It was quite a simple rig, to be fair. It was like a glass cabinet with a metal floor and an array of machinery on the top connected to a large pipe which ran into a bigger unit on the ceiling. It was almost like a shower cubicle.

‘Well?’ asked Aleena. ‘Can you do anything to change it? To make it’s safe to use without killing some innocent person on the surface?’

‘No,’ said the Doctor solemnly. ‘I can’t.’

‘Seriously?’ asked Caroline, who had joined Aleena by the Doctor’s side.

‘Seriously. I’ve read the manual twice, taken this thing apart and put it back together again and looked at some way of changing things, but I can’t.’

Matthew was standing in the doorway. ‘Use me.’

‘I beg your pardon?’ said the Doctor.

‘Use me. Drain the life force from me and regenerate yourself.’

‘It doesn’t work like that,’ said the Doctor. ‘Even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t be able to do it. It’d just be a stop-gap. Something to delay the inevitable. It still wouldn’t rebuild the regenerative cells. They’re safely stored away inside you, Matthew.’

‘Then take them out of me.’

‘That’s what we’re going to do,’ said the Doctor, ‘but doing it is a different matter. This machine is permanently fixed to the Xanji-For. There’s no way I can adapt it anymore. It’s worthless. And it needs to be destroyed.’

‘Jettel’s already got a team on the way to sort it out,’ said Aleena sadly. ‘Is there no way-’

‘No,’ said the Doctor. ‘All we can do now is see if your scientists can help in anyway.’ The Doctor looked at the rest of the group. ‘Would you mind leaving me alone with Matthew for a few minutes?’

‘Of course,’ said Caroline as they exited the chamber to join Danny.

The Doctor walked over to Matthew and then leaned against the wall. ‘Why are you doing this?’

‘Doing what?’ asked Matthew.

‘You were a little bit ambivalent towards helping me earlier. The longer you’re out and about, the more you’re developing your own personality and becoming…well, a real person.’

‘I was against it,’ said Matthew, ‘and I still have my reservations. But today made me realise what you are. You are the Doctor,’ he said, jabbing his finger into the Doctor’s chest. ‘You need to be complete. You’ve taken down an entire corrupt world in about - what? Five mintues? - and you’ve already helped them to start to put it all back together. The universe needs you.’

The Doctor smiled. ‘Sometimes I wonder…’

‘Sometimes you wonder what?’

‘If I haven’t gone on too long. Maybe this is Time’s way of telling me I need to stop; that I need to let myself fade away.’

‘And I’m sure that’s your reasoning in your head. Because you feel guilty that you’re trying to find a way to fix yourself, knowing full well that the person who is me - Matthew Cole - will be gone in the process.’

The Doctor nodded. ‘I like you, Matthew, and it’s not fair that this has happened.’

‘Life’s not always about what’s fair. Sometime’s it’s about doing what is right.’




The Doctor and Matthew were both lying next to each other on hospital beds in the lab when the scientist - Palen - returned from getting the results.

Caroline, Danny and Aleena were also in the room, watching and waiting anxiously.

‘Well?’ asked the Doctor, sitting up. ‘Which is the best way for us to go about this? Can you do anything?’

‘As you know, we still have a lot of records dating back to the Time War. We have a lot of information relating to Time Lords and it has become part of our medical studies over the centuries.’

‘Get to the point, pal,’ said Matthew.

‘The point,’ said the slightly irked scientist, ‘is that nothing about your physiology compares to that of the Doctor, Mr. Cole.’

‘I beg your pardon?’ said the Doctor.

‘Mr. Cole is not you.’

‘We know that!’ snapped the Doctor. ‘He’s a humanised Watcher. He’s an echo of my future self.’

‘He’s not,’ said Palen. ‘He was never a Watcher.’

‘I…I don’t understand,’ said the Doctor.

Matthew remained silent.

‘We’ve stripped back the layer of Human DNA and our results say that he was never you and he will never be you.’

The Doctor got up off the bed and crossed to the window overlooking the observation area. He turned back to face Palen. ‘He was there at Manchester Airport. He has my memories. He and I have a connection. When he touched me it was like…it was like we were the same person.’

Palen shook his head.

The Doctor looked like he was about to burst. ‘Can you at least try and explain to me what’s going on then?’

Palen crossed to Matthew and looked at him. ‘At best guess, he appeared at the same time you did. A being of immense power. Can you remember what triggered your previous regeneration?’

‘It was the TARDIS. Something had…I don’t know…collided with it. I never did find out what it was. I tried to repair the console and I got a shock. I was enveloped by energy from beneath the time rotor. I quickly landed the TARDIS and then stepped out and regenerated. That’s when Aleena rescued me.’

‘I think the being was Matthew. He collided with your ship and then followed you down to this Manchester airport.’

‘But then how do you explain my lack of regenerating cells? Surely they were past over and became one with Matthew?’

‘By all accounts you had your regenerating cells, but the incident caused them to burn out when you regenerated. A freak accident.’

‘But he remembers everything!’ the Doctor was trying not to shout. ‘He even looked like a Watcher.’

‘Not a Watcher. I think he’s a proto-form Time Lord.’

‘A what?’ asked Caroline.

‘During the Time War, history says that your people grew new Time Lords. In labs. When it became apparent that they were running out of warriors, they began to grow their own. One of the many ways your people acquired new battle fodder. Because of their similarity to the Watchers, it’s understandable that you could confuse the two. They begin as pale, almost translucent figures and slowly absorb and morph into a walking, talking Gallifreyan.’

‘So you think Matthew is a remnant from the Time War?’ The Doctor knew there were things even he wasn’t privy to during the War.

‘No,’ said Palen, ‘but I do think that he’s been created using the same technology. At best guess, someone created him to use as a weapon against you. Aim the being at your TARDIS and then attack you once you’re out. Absorb your memories and finish forming into the final product.’

‘But why?’ asked Aleena. ‘It doesn’t make any sense. Why not just send a Dalek or something to kill him? Why go to all the trouble of using a proto-form Time Lord and absorbing his memories and everything?’

The Doctor crossed over to Matthew who had gone silent. ‘Every time he touched me, he absorbed my memories. Every single time.’

‘Indeed the initial impact,’ continued the scientist, ‘would have been enough to have kick-started the process. Almost like he became a Human clone of you. That was the mistake. Aleena took you away and instead of morphing into a Time Lord, he went the other way and became Human. There’s more connecting your two people than you think.’

‘Doctor…’ said Matthew, slowly.

‘You don’t know any of this, do you?’

‘I have your memories.’

‘But you’re not me. Having my memories doesn’t mean that you’re me.’

‘This doesn’t answer anything,’ said Danny. ‘We still don’t know who’s done it or why.’

‘I have a few ideas.’

‘Who?’

The Doctor turned to Palen. ‘If he’s now fully complete-’

‘He’s not,’ interrupted Palen.

‘Then what next? Surely there must be another stage.’

Palen pulled out a map of Cole’s brain. All along his brain were lines of blue, but in the centre, was a glowing blue dot.

‘This,’ said Palen, pointing to the dot, ‘is the final stage. Once this particular part of his brain is activated the rest of these lines will turn red, the remnants of Humanity will strip away and Mr. Cole will become the person he is supposed to be. The Time Lord DNA within him will take over.’

‘What will it take the activate them?’

‘It could be anything,’ said Palen. ‘Maybe even something as simple as allowing him to touch anything on your TARDIS console.’

‘I don’t understand any of this,’ said Matthew, unable to comprehend what was going on.

‘You’re not me,’ said the Doctor. ‘I’ve already told you that.’

‘What do we do?’ asked Caroline.

Get him out of here and into the TARDIS. Don’t let him touch anything. In fact, blind fold him. Take him deep into the centre of the TARDIS and put him back into suspended animation. And lock the door. Don’t let him have any chance of escaping.

‘Doctor, this is insane!’ said Matthew, as Danny and Aleena grabbed him by each arm.

‘Are you sure about this?’ asked Aleena.

The Doctor’s eyes narrowed and he looked at Cole. ‘You’re in there, waiting like a spider to bite,’ said the Doctor, leaning in close to the struggling Matthew, ‘but I’m not going to let it happen. Do you hear me?’

Matthew looked terrified as Aleena and Danny stood him up and escorted him out of the room. The Doctor continued to watch on, a blank look on his face.

Caroline crossed over to him and grabbed his arm. ‘Doctor, do you know more than you’re letting on?’

‘I don’t want to find out. I don’t want any of us to find out.’

‘Then give me a clue.’

The Doctor turned to Caroline. ‘There have been good Time Lords and there have been bad Time Lords. And there have been Time Lords who will stop at nothing to survive. They will go to any lengths to make sure their life continues. Matthew could well be one of those.’

‘Then what are we going to do in the long term?’

The Doctor shook his head. ‘I don’t know, Caroline, I just don’t know.’ He turned to Palen. ‘And me? What about me? Obviously Cole isn’t me, so is there nothing that can be done to save me? Is there no way I can force a change?’

Palen shook his head sadly. ‘Your regenerating cells have burnt out, Doctor. You’ve not got much hope. All you can do is postpone the inevitable.’

‘Which is?’ asked Caroline, already knowing the answer.

‘It means that eventually I am going to die. And there’s nothing we can do to stop it.’




The Doctor had stayed behind for a few days to help Jettel and Aleena with the Justice Department. There had been chaos after the revelation of the Council’s lies, but it had at least been organised chaos. The Justice Department had taken control and promised to put things back together.

‘It’s going to be difficult,’ said the Doctor to Aleena and Jettel, ‘but eventually people will come to realise that just because Ireel and Deela were a lie, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t an afterlife. It’s the greatest mystery, isn’t it? What happens after death?’

And so they had begun the task of rebuilding their world.




Later the Doctor was standing beside the TARDIS with Aleena. Caroline and Danny had said their goodbyes and headed into the console room.

‘Doctor,’ said Aleena, ‘thank you.’

The Doctor smiled. ‘Thank you, Aleena.’

She opened her mouth to say something and then stopped herself.

‘What’s wrong?’ asked the Doctor.

‘I just…I just feel like that’s it. That it’s over.’

‘What’s over?’

‘You and me. Our friendship.’

‘Our friendship will never be over.’

‘Do you think I’ll ever see you again?’ she asked, not holding back the tears now.

The Doctor smiled sadly. ‘You know, as well as I do, that I have so very little time left now. And you have a new purpose. You and Jettel need to help these poor people to rebuild their beliefs.’

‘But what about you? What about Matthew?’

‘Matthew I will deal with. As for myself…?’ The Doctor smiled. ‘I’ll put my affairs in order. Those drugs you gave Danny will keep him going for a bit longer. I’ve got enough of a supply for myself, and I’ll take the both of them back to Thornsby and help them. As soon as that’s done, well, maybe I can rest at last.’

‘But…you can’t die.’

‘Life is long, Aleena. Life is long and sometimes…sometimes you need to say goodbye. Sometimes you need to pass on responsibility to someone else.’

The Doctor stumbled slightly and fell back against the TARDIS door.

‘Here,’ said Aleena, handing him an ornately carved, oak walking stick.

‘Thank you,’ he said, taking it and steadying himself. ‘Don’t remember me like this. Remember me as the man who flew through space and time, battling Daleks and Cybermen and Apparites. Remember me as your friend.’

He turned, took one more look at Aleena, and then stepped into the box. Aleena put her hands to her mouth as she watched the TARDIS dematerialise from her life for what was probably the last time.

And then she fell to the floor. Jettel ran over to her and held her tight as the sound of the TARDIS engines faded.




Deep within the TARDIS, in the suspended animation chambers, Matthew Cole remained, sleeping, still and silent. And, strangely, the hint of a smile on his face.

And somewhere…somewhere…he could hear a laugh. An evil laugh. Whatever was buried inside this strange man was waiting. Waiting to strike.

THE END

Next time:

Paragrim, the bounty hunter from "The Lighthouse" returns. 

Our 50th anniversary story "The First Eleven" begins. Paragrim, recruited by the Eyeglass to track down the Doctor, is sent through time to recover each of the first 11 incarnations of the Doctor. But is all as it seems?

The Problem with Death: Chapter 11 (Caroline)

I could see the Doctor on the screen. He was standing at the bottom of the staircase, arms outstretched and yelling at the top of his voice. We couldn’t hear what he was saying.

‘Is Ireel on her way?’ asked Apok. ‘She needs to deal with the fool before he blows everything.’

‘He knows,’ said the scientist sat at the station. ‘He knows about it all.’

‘How can he?’

‘Um,’ came a voice from a doorway. It was Rix.

‘You stupid idiot!’ scolded Apok.

‘It wasn’t my fault. They captured me and took me to my office.’

‘And you just told them everything?’

‘No, don’t be so stupid. I managed to escape, but they must have hacked the computer.’

‘That’s what you get for leaving important information lying around where anyone can read it.’

‘All of our computers are encrypted. It’d take a genius to unlock them.’

‘I gather you’ve met the genius!?’ said Apok, indicating the Doctor on the screen.

Rix looked to an archway set in the far wall. I wasn’t certain, but I had the feeling that that was the doorway that would lead to the staircase.

‘Do you understand any of this?’ said Danny.

‘Not a word, but I’ve got a hunch that we can get out that way.’

Danny followed my gaze to the door. ‘You’re insane. They’ll catch us before we reach it. And we have no idea that it leads down to the staircase.’

‘Let’s find out,’ I said.

‘No, Caroline.’

‘Look, Danny,’ I said, staring at him, ‘I’ve just started to get my sense of adventure back. Don’t let me let it slip away now.’

‘You’re a nutcase.’

‘That’s why I’m your best mate,’ I said. And I grabbed his hand and we both sprinted from the cover of the entrance door towards the archway.

Apok noticed us and yelled for the guards to stop us. But it was too late. We were already pushing through the doors and then…a flash…




…we were surrounded by clouds. And we were standing a blue, stone staircase. The night sky seemed to envelope us and the city seemed so far away. I almost felt like I was going to fall. I wobbled slightly, but Danny grabbed my waist and stopped me from going over.

‘Cheers,’ I said, smiling at him.

‘Fancy a dance?’ he said, a little nervously, his hands still around my waist.

‘Maybe when we get downstairs. Come on!’

The steps were huge, like the stones of a pyramid, but we managed to make our way halfway down when we saw the familiar figures of the Doctor, Matthew and Aleena appear.

‘Caroline! Danny!’ exclaimed the Doctor. ‘I left one of you with Jettel and the other in a hospital ward!’

‘We both got transported. To the cavern,’ I said.

‘A cavern in the clouds?’ said Aleena.

‘It’s just a fake, transport thing,’ said the Doctor. ‘Remember?’

‘So you know what’s going on?’ asked Danny.

‘Yes,’ said the Doctor. ‘To cut a long story short, it’s all fake. Ireel and Deela have been working with the government to keep everybody in line. Now they’re showing fractures, they’ve appeared to try and unite them again.’

‘Isn’t that a good thing?’ asked Danny.

‘No, it’s wrong. Completely wrong. They’ve taken a religion and perverted it. It’ll take the Xanji years to get over this.’

‘So which way are we going? Up or down?’ asked Matthew, the furthest down the staircase.

‘Up,’ said the Doctor. ‘And you’re all coming with me.’

I frowned. ‘I was expecting you to tell us all to go and wait in the TARDIS out of harms way.’

‘I don’t want any of you going down there into Deela and Ireel’s pantomime chaos. I want you all safe where I can see you. Let’s go!’




We made our way back up the staircase. At the top was a swirling, upright cauldron of light. The Doctor insisted he go first and stepped forward. He disappeared in a flash of light. The rest of us looked at each other, a little unsure of what was going to happen, and then followed him through.

When we emerged on the other side we were surrounded by guards. The Doctor had his hands up and Rix was sneering at him.

‘I suggest you put down your weapons,’ said the Doctor calmly. ‘Your little secret has been discovered.’

‘By who? You?’ said Rix.

Apok shuffled uncomfortably beside him.

‘Yes, by me.’

‘So all we have to do is kill you lot and the problem goes away.’

The Doctor shook his head. ‘It doesn’t work like that, Rix.’

The Doctor went to his pocket and the guards raised their guns a little higher.

‘It’s alright, it’s alright,’ said the Doctor, ‘I just want to show you something.’

‘Go ahead,’ said Rix, indicating for the guards to relax a little.

The Doctor pulled a small, silver, oval shape from his pocket. It had a white disc on one side.

‘What’s that?’ asked Rix, eyeing it up suspiciously.

‘This is…well, I suppose you could call it my alarm clock.’

‘Explain.’

‘Loaded into this device is all of the information collected about Deela and Ireel. The truth. It’s tuned into my life signs. Handy little devices actually,’ he said, turning it over in his hand and smiling down at it. ‘I bought it from a Grel in the Garazone System.’

‘Doctor…’ hissed Aleena.

‘Ah, yes. The truth. If I happen to die then this device will transmit all of the information about your disgusting little lie to every data pad, every computer, every piece of information-capable technology across Xanji-For. The people will know the truth. The people will respond, and you can bet your bottom Shannix that they won’t be too happy about it.’

‘Then why haven’t you done it already?’ asked Apok, trying to get a look at the intriguing piece of technology.

‘Because I came here to offer you the opportunity to fix this yourselves. To talk down Deela and Ireel, or whatever their real names are, and end this peacefully. Explain to the people. Apologise. Make things right.’

‘Not a chance, Doctor,’ laughed Rix.

‘But why not? Why would you let this continue?’

‘Because this is how it’s been for centuries,’ snapped Rix. ‘You can’t just step in here and change things.’

‘If things are changed for the better than I’m afraid that I very much can change things.’

Rix continued to chuckle.

‘Listen to him you idiot,’ growled Aleena. ‘You do not want to get on the wrong side of the Doctor. He was the one that ended the Time War, you know?’

Rix glanced up at Aleena and then at the Doctor. ‘We helped the Time Lords.’

‘I know,’ said the Doctor. ‘That’s where you got the Regenersis machine from, wasn’t it? The Time Lords used them for a time to rebuild their damaged bodies. They have the power to rebuild regeneration cells.’

And all of a sudden it clicked for me. This was why the Doctor was so interested in coming here. Out of all the planets he could have travelled to get help with his and Matthew’s situation.

‘I came here hoping you could help me.’

‘Surely, Doctor, you didn’t know about the Regenersis machine?’ asked Aleena.

‘No,’ he continued, ‘but I thought I may have some look in tracking one down. The Time War was so long ago now, that there was always a chance I wouldn’t find one, but obviously I was wrong.’

‘So,’ said Rix, ‘not only do you want to shut down our afterlife programme, but you also want us to let you have access to the Regenersis machine so you can fix yourself?’

I considered this. Rix had a point. Why should they give in to the Doctor.

‘Your machine is barbaric. I didn’t agree with them when the Time Lords used them during the War, but I had no choice really. Not when I was out there on the front lines and isolated from everyone else.’

‘So…?’

‘I can find a way to make them operate without extracting the life force from other individuals. I can find a better way.’

There was a flash and standing behind us in the archway was the white-robbed Aleena. There came another flash and Deela appeared next to her, frowning at the Doctor.

‘Thank goodness you’re here,’ said Apok. ‘They’ve discovered the truth.’

Deela’s creatures - the Denta’s - appeared beside her.

‘And those things,’ said the Doctor, skipping past the guards to a computer bank, ‘they are fascinating.’ He pulled a few switches, took out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at a panel which promptly flashed and then exploded with a pathetic bang.

The Denta’s flicked and blurred and then vanished.

‘No!’ yelled Deela.

‘What did you do?’ asked Matthew.

‘They’re holographic images,’ said the Doctor.

‘But they killed someone,’ I said, remembering the carnage back in the forest.

‘Hard-light holograms. They’re not real, but they can still hurt and do damage.’

‘And those two?’ said Danny, nodding towards Ireel and Deela.

‘Now, let’s see,’ said the Doctor, looking down at another computer panel.

‘That’s enough!’ yelled Rix. ‘Guards! Shoot him!’

‘Ah-ah-ah!’ said the Doctor. ‘Remember the information in my device.’

‘Stop!’ said Rix, before the guards could pull the trigger.

‘I see,’ said the Doctor, smiling. He flicked a few more switches and Deela and Ireel flickered until standing there were two, beautiful, but very ordinary, blue-skinned Xanji women. The real faces of the God and Non-God.

Around each of their necks were a golden ring and both of them had a special, metal glove on each hand.

‘The rings sustain the holographic image around the two ladies, and the gloves allow for them to instantaneously teleport their victims - like Caroline and Danny.’

Everything was starting to fall into place and the I found myself smiling at the Doctor’s powers of deduction.

‘This isn’t the end,’ said Ireel. ‘Nobody else has seen us yet.’

The Doctor smiled. ‘Actually. I kind of lied a little bit.’

‘What do you mean?’

The Doctor pretended to look a little concerned over what he had done. ‘Before Aleena, Matthew and I came the staircase, we got the information out to Jettel, one of the outsiders. He’s already on his way to contact the Justice Department. They’re going to break the news to the rest of the planet about what you’ve been doing.’

‘You’ll cause chaos!’ screamed Ireel.

‘I doubt it. The Justice Department are the only ones high up who weren’t “in” on the lie. They’ll organize everything. Things will be fine.’

‘Then why did you lie about that device?’ asked Apok.

‘I needed a little bit of leverage. I needed some security while I fiddled with your machines and took down your little empire.’

‘Guards!’ shouted Rix. ‘This time kill him!’

The guards raised their weapons, but a beeping came from a central console. The image of a white-bearded man, Jettel and a very sorry looking President Uthal flashed up. The white-bearded man spoke.

‘Members of the science group looking after Ireel and Deela. This is the Justice Department speaking. Your cavern has been located. It’s all over. Your guards are now under my command. Lay down your arms and surrender peacefully.’

The Doctor turned to Rix, Apok, Deela and Ireel and smiled. ‘All in a days work, I’m afraid.’